by Gerald George Mannikarote, MBBS MBA
Every new year, people make all sorts of resolutions. Probably , the most common one is to lose weight. And what usually happens? By March or so, most people forget their resolutions.
Why does this happen? I believe it’s because there is a fundamental difference between resolutions and goals. So, what’s the difference between them?
Resolutions vs Goals
The Oxford English Dictionary defines ‘resolution’ as ‘a firm decision to do or not to do something’. It defines ‘goal’ as ‘the object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result.’ This tells you that one is decision, where as one is an object of effort. One is a thought, one is an end result of action.
I think this is the main reason that people fail to keep their resolutions. The action to follow through with them begins to wane after a few weeks or months. A goal on the other hand is different. It is an end result. If you map out a line of actions from the end result to your current starting point, you can see what actions you need to do to achieve your goal. This is a fundamental difference between resolutions and goals.
SMART Goals
Setting up SMART goals could be a way to turn your resolutions into a reality. For example, if it comes to losing weight, creating SMART goals are a great way to make it happen. SMART goals help you set up a SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ATTAINABLE , RELEVANT, and TIME BOUND way of reaching a weight loss goal. So if your plan is to lose 20 lbs by June of this year, you can make an action plan by creating SMART goals. And action, as you know, is the right way to lose weight, and not goals!
So, what are your goals for this year? How will you make those goals SMART? How will you make your plan actionable? Leave your thoughts in the comments. You can also contact me at jerrydmann@dmanntraining.com
