This year, get SMART about resolutions
In case you misplaced your calendar, a glance around the internet is all you need to know which week it is. Ah, yes, the first week of January is here. With it, resolutions are running rampant. Some publications, celebrities, and entrepreneurs are going all in on ambitious resolutions, while others are keeping it small or scrapping the tradition altogether. Our suggestion? Get SMART.
One of the goal-setting gold standards is called SMART. The letters stand for ingredients to include in your goal setting: Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. More than one celebrity have taken this advice to heart.
S: Get Specific
It’s difficult to follow through on a goal that’s vague, like “be a better entrepreneur.” Instead, define your goals as narrowly as possible.
TV host Ryan Seacrest got really specific about his goals for 2023, as in, down to the minute:
“Being comfortable with eight minutes of stillness or eight minutes of silence or eight minutes of doing nothing … without having to feel like I need to do something. And also learning how to play all these games my niece plays at 4 years old. I’m struggling to understand ‘Booba.'”
M: Make it Measurable
Don’t merely plan to “grow your business.” Quantify your resolution. For Cardi B, her desire for risk-taking had a clear goal: one.
Are you in Cardi B’s boat? We have an episode for that. Check out “The World is a Risky Place” today.
A: Anything That’s Actionable
Celebrity Kourtney Kardashian has a relatable new year’s resolution that requires a significant change of habits:
"To live more in the present and less on my phone"
While it’s actionable to be sure, making her resolution a SMART one would require measurement, among other things. One example? Decrease time on my phone by 30%, measured by the iPhone’s time tracking app.
R: Resolve with Relevance
Your goals should be relevant to your life. So what’s always relevant? Money. The money channel CNBC says most Americans’ resolutions fall into three buckets: to save more money, pay down debt, and spend less. Biz Kid, do we ever have resources for that.
Looking to save more? Check out our full page dedicated to saving and investing.
Ready to pay off that debt? We’ve rounded up our best content on the topic right here.
Time to reign in that spending? Define your money personality, then tailor your strategy to your money makeup. Our episode, “What’s Your Money Personality?” is your first stop.
T: Time-Bound or Bust
It’s not enough to decide what you want to do. Deciding when is just as vital. The good news is that tools abound for tracking the time portion of most any resolution. Here are some examples:
Reading: Serial Reader provides 20 minutes of reading for each day.
Spending: break your financial goals into small time-bound budgets each month with Mint, a tool that tracks your spending and tallies the truth.
Exercise: Apple Fitness claims to be “all the motivation you need.” Its trainings include programs to reach your daily, weekly, and long-term goals.
So what are some of your new year’s resolutions this year, Biz Kid? If they’re specific, measurable, actionable, relevant, and time-bound, you should be well on your way to a better you in 2024!
