January 23, 2018 | Financial Life Planning
If your resolution hasn’t lasted, you are not alone. According to U.S. News, approximately 80% of resolutions fail by the second week of February.
As an alternative to resolutions, a practice that my wife, Geralyn, and I have found helpful is to talk about our vision and priorities for the upcoming year. We used to do this on our anniversary every year until I bowed to the abuse I received from our friends about how “unromantic” it is to talk about goals during our anniversary dinner. So now, we try to set aside time each January to talk about “Goals and Guardrails” for our family. We look back to see how we fared last year and discuss our priorities for the upcoming year.
We try to focus on a small number of goals in the most important areas of our lives. We set SMART goals. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-Based. Nothing fancy or fluffy. Real, practical things that we must do to keep our lives in alignment with our values and priorities.
In recent years, Geralyn and I have added guardrails to our discussions. These are measures that when approached, warning signals go off and our course needs to be immediately corrected. Year after year, I seem to need personal guardrails around my weight and work hours.
Goals and Guardrails are helpful for keeping the main things as the main things in our lives. It is interesting and encouraging to take a look back to see how we have fared.
Below is a list of Goals and Guardrails. I encourage you to think about them either individually or with a friend or spouse. Take the time to write them down and review them periodically during the year. Use it as an excuse to grab a coffee and have a great discussion with someone close to you.
May you have a 2018 filled with peace, freedom, and impact as you work toward your goals and stay within your guardrails.
2018 Goals and Guardrails
Goal: Something to be attained. “An object of a person’s effort; an aim or desired result.”
Guardrail: Something not to be breached. “A strong fence or boundary intended to reduce the risk of serious accidents.”
Spiritual
Goals:
Guardrails:
Relational & Family
Goals:
Guardrails:
Intellectual & Professional
Goals:
Guardrails:
Financial
Goals:
Guardrails:
Physical
Goals:
Guardrails: