Goal Setting 101

by Patty Kreamer, CPO

Do you ever feel like you are drowning in "stuff" that consists of physical clutter, overloaded schedules, projects that never stop, phones that never quit, email that finds you no matter where you are, and the constant running around? If so, you are not alone.

If you stop long enough to think that life could be simple, it can. But who has time to stop? That’s the best thing about January; starting out with a clean slate and filling it up with whatever you want and getting rid of what you don’t.

Here are a few tips to simplifying your life:

1. SET GOALS…NOT NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

Resolutions are usually verbal promises that are forgotten by January 14th. The reason? See number 2.

2. WRITE IT DOWN!

Don't just say or think your goals, write them down. There is something magical about writing your goals on paper. It seals them in your subconscious as real and obtainable and not just dreams. If you don't believe me, TRY IT!

3. THINK AHEAD IN REVERSE (HUH?)

Picture that it is December 31, 2002. What did you accomplish this year and how did you do it? Think about that as you write what you want your overall achievements to be for the year. In other words, work backwards!

4. BE S.M.A.R.T.

Any goal that you make should have 5 characteristics. They should be:

S= Specific

M=Measurable

A=Achievable

R=Realistic

T=Time related

It doesn't matter if the goal is short-term or long-term. If it isn't S.M.A.R.T., it may go unaccomplished. If your goal is to be rich, you are being too vague. But if you write down that you want to earn $80,000 by 12/31/02, it fits the SMART model. It's specific and measurable ($80,000), achievable and realistic (only you would know that), and it is time related (by12/31/02).

5. SHARE YOUR VISION

Don’t keep your goals a secret. Share them with the important people in your life so that they can keep you on track and hold you accountable. In fact, finding

someone that has goals and meeting with them once a month to be sure that you are both staying focused is a great way to make goal setting fun and effective.

Goals help to keep the clutter out. If an activity or possession doesn’t help you reach your goals, eliminate it. Imagine if you dropped one activity from your busy schedule. Wouldn’t that make life simpler? Try it to see if you can live with the results. You'll probably wonder how managed so much "stuff" that added nothing but stress to your days.

It didn't take a week to become overwhelmed, so don't expect results too soon. Just chip away at it one piece of clutter at a time. I guarantee you'll love the results by year-end.

By the way, only 3% of the population writes down their goals. They happen to be the most happy, healthy, and successful people on the planet. Coincidence? I don't think so.

Here's to simplifying your life!

Patty Kreamer, CPO, owner of Kreamer Connect, Inc., is a Certified Professional Organizer, speaker, and author of “…But I Might Need It Someday!” and “The Power of Simplicity” available at www.ByeByeClutter.com.