It’s always fun to make new year resolutions, imagining yourself having read 100 books, run a marathon or getting that sweet pay rise. But it never quite worked for me. The process of setting those goals was enjoyable, but when it came to waking up in the morning and running, my motivation was long gone. I wised up a little bit and nowadays I try to set reasonable goals based on my previous experience. So today I would like to talk about all the things I learned about goal setting.You probably know about a goal setting framework called S.M.A.R.T. I will give you an advanced version of it, called S.M.A.R.T.E.R. It’s a set of rules designed to maximize your likelihood of accomplishing goals. It stand for:

If you abide by those rules, you will make great progress and achieve all your goals step-by-step. It’s a powerful tool, so you should use it for good. Don’t spend all your energy on getting a pay rise or trying to increase the number of books you read. I suggest making a yearly plan on improving all facets of your life. Here’s the non-exhaustive list things you should consider:

  • Career
  • Education
  • Finance
  • Physical environment
  • Personal growth and development
  • Health and fitness
  • Spirituality
  • Family and friends
  • Significant other/ romance
  • Contributions / Givings
  • Fun and recreation

That’s it, I don’t want to prolong this any longer and keep it simple. I might come back and do a full review of this methods.