Let’s Make a SMART Resolution
New year is one of the most awaited moments. Many people make it a moment to gather with family, partner or friends. Lots of activities can be done on New Year’s Eve. Like watching movies together, setting off fireworks, enjoying certain dishes, and of course talking about many good things either that have been passed in the previous year or things that will be achieved in the coming year.
One of that many people most likely do is making a resolution. The resolution can contain about what things that want to be achieved in the coming year. This is not something difficult to do. You just need to pull out a piece of paper and take your pen, then write down all your wishes. However, it does not just stop there. After you write down all your wishes in the form of resolution, you will have big tasks to make them happen. Unfortunately, many wishes end up only on a piece of paper. Of course, you do not want this to happen to your resolution, do you?
Apart from taking effort, there are a few tips you can do to help you make all your dreams come true so that you can put ticks on your resolution paper. Not just a resolution, but you have to make a SMART resolution. That is an acronym coined in the journal Management Review in 1981 for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.
Specific — Your resolution should be clear. Instead of just writing about wanting to go abroad, you should also write down what country you want to visit specifically. From there, you can find a lot of information about it, such as airfare, lodging, living expenses, etc.
Measurable — People who have managed to lose weight must be amazed when they see their before-after photos. As all achievements require a process, you can record every detail of the changes that occur, which will lead you to the resolution you want to achieve. In the case of losing weight, you can make a special note in a certain period of time that contains your weight. You can also use photos to see how your body is changing.
Achievable — This is not to limit your resolution. But trying to achieve something big in a short amount of time will only make you frustrated. You may dream of reaching your first 100 million, but to achieve it you also have to adjust to how much savings you can make from your total income. Let’s say you have a total income of 5 million per month, then your total income per year is 60 million. Then is it possible to have 100 million savings within a year? It is! Only if you suddenly ‘win the lottery’.
Relevant — Before making any resolutions, you should ask yourself again whether you make it for a right reason or not? A psychiatrist and co-author of two self-help books, Dr. Michael Bennett, said. “If you do it out of the sense of self-hate or remorse or a strong passion in that moment, it doesn’t usually last long.” You want to lose your weight in order to live a better lifestyle. Of course it is better than just wanting to look more attractive in front of your ex.
Time-bound — In regard to ‘achievable’, you also have to give a specific time for you to realise each resolution. Everything requires process, and every process must take time. So when you want to achieve something, especially those involving the change process, you have to give yourself realistic time to achieve it. Charles Duhigg, author of “The Power of Habit”, said. “If you’re building a habit, you’re planning for the next decade, not the next couple of months.”
Those are tips for making a SMART resolution. Of course, we hope to be able to achieve all our wishes in the coming year. But remember, things do not just happen. The combination of hard work and prayer is the best way to achieve it all.
-Northern Ingo-
