2 weeks left till 2018. Where's the reset button?

It's Monday, 18th of December 2017 and we are going to bid goodbye to 2017 in 2 weeks. Gosh.

2017 feels like a blur. It has passed by in a blink of an eye. Okay, let's not get too dramatic, the past is the past and until we can find some ways to turn back time, all we can do is.. move forward.

Goals, should we set them?

Let's be honest, is there anyone here who has never, ever, set a new years resolution?
I'm sure pretty much 99% of you people reading this did. Be it simple resolutions such as

• I want to read more books
• I want to lose 10 kilos
• I want to stop drinking sugary goodness
• I want to stop smoking
• I want to save 15k

Or even crazier goals such as:

• I want to generate a million ringgits
• I want to meet the Sultan of Brunei
• I want to marry a Celebrity
• I want to become the best poker player in Malaysia

Why do we set goals for ourselves?
We set goals because we want to feel that we can achieve something, and gather all our limited resources for the year into what we think we can achieve within that period. Without setting goals, we might be feeling adrift, and we will still wander around trying to find what to focus on. Well, maybe that's not a bad thing anyway.
.

But, how do we set a better New Years resolution?

I'd like to share a method that I used before. It's a quite a popular method that can be applied to most things.
It is called S.M.A.R.T. or Specific - Measurable - Achievable - Relevant - Time-bound goals.

• Specific
  Whatever your goals are, try to be as specific as you can. Instead of going for goals like, "I must lose weight", go for goals such as, "I must lose 6 kilos of fat and get as lean as 15% body fat before 31 December or I must donate 200RM to a charity that I support"
• Measurable
  Know how to measure your goals. Once you have been specific, you could always dig deeper. Let's say your goal is weight loss. Get an app that will help you to track and record your performance. Set mini-goals that support the bigger picture such as, "Only allow 2 sugary drinks or desserts per week", or "I must lose 500 g per month, but still maintaining my muscle mass at x%".
• Achievable
  Your goals must be achievable during that 1 year period of time. Be realistic. Say you want to be financially free and retire early (bigger goals), start by achievable goals such as, 'I must save at least RM500 per month, where RM200 goes to my FD and RM300 will be invested somewhere'.
• Relevant
  Set a goal that really matters. Do something that you really like or want to. Step back and think hard why do you want it.
  If you say, I must save to buy a new Subaru WRX STI, does it really make me happy? Will I be contented if I win at least Top 20 in a local running race? See the bigger picture, and remember, you only have so much time, and so little resources to achieve that one goal you have set.
• Time-bound
  Creating the sense of urgency will help you stay on course easier. Try to give little room for yourself to doubt the goals you have set. Make goals that you can measure within a specific time. "Within the first 6 months of the year, I will be at x% body fat, and I would have lost 3 kg at least".

My goals?

I'll try to refine my 2017 goals for 2018. This year's goal was to read at least 1 book per month. So, let's be honest, I didn't achieve it last year, so, here's a scaled version of my 2017 goal for 2018:

I must finish at least 1 business/productivity books every 2 months, and write what I learn from them in a post so that I can share with everyone.

There you go. Hope this will help inspire you to set a better New Year's resolution goal for 2018.

---

Hey, it's Kei. I'll be writing more on productivity hacks, so do follow me @legrandkei