Swear is one of those words that can come across as a positive, or a negative, depending on how you use it. You can swear to do something. In which case you really mean that you are going to get it done. You can also swear because you didn’t get something done. And it’s more than likely an expression of anger.
To be really honest, I use definition two a lot more than definition one. As much as I try to control my cursing, it does get the better of me. I often joke, I’m a Jersey Girl, I can’t always control it!
Since it’s January we have all been talking about goals and resolutions, and there are a lot of theories on how to reach those goals. One of the most common that we often hear is to set SMART goals. If you are not familiar with SMART goals, it’s an acronym for effective goal setting: Specific, Measurable, Actionable (or Attainable), Relevant, and Timely (or Time-bound). SMART goals make a lot of sense, and it’s a great tool to use.
For me, there has always been another part of setting goals that I don’t always get from SMART goals. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely make my goals smart, but, I needed something else. I have come up with the SWEAR method of reaching those goals. Let me break it down for you.
S – Specific
You absolutely need to make your goals specific. I always use the ‘lose weight’ example since so many of us have had that goal one time or another. If your goal is to lose weight, then technically if you lose one pound you’ve lost weight. That doesn’t give you much motivation. However, if you say, “I want to lose 10 pounds,’ you have given yourself a specific target to work for. Your goals should be specific.
W – Write it Down
It is said over and over, if you write your goals down you are more likely to achieve them. Writing your goals down helps commit them to your memory, and also makes them feel a little more tangible. Writing down the specifics of the goal gives you less room for misinterpretation.
E – Easily Accessible
Once you have your specific goals, you’ve written them down, now, you don’t want to forget about them. Out of sight, out of mind wouldn’t have become a commonly used proverb if there wasn’t some truth to it. Again, we want to be able to look at our goals as something tangible, so writing them down and never going back to look at them is not going to move you in the right direction. Put your written goals somewhere that you will see them, and see them often. This year I’m trying the vision board approach. I have a visual reminder of my goals hanging over my desk…can’t miss them! I also have them written down in my journal so that I always have access to them.
A – Actionable
Here’s one of the SMART goal steps again. You need an action plan if you are going to achieve your goals. If you try to wing-it, chances are you aren’t going to get very far. Using the weight loss goal again, you need to put a plan in place in order to achieve that goal. Are you going to change your eating habits? Are you going to exercise? How much are you going to exercise? Make an action plan.
R – Review, Roadblocks, and Rewards
You’ve gotten specific, you’ve written your goals down, you see them often, and you have an action plan. Great!! Now, you need to take stock of what you are accomplishing by giving them a review every so often. I have a weekly planning routine that includes going over my goals and assessing the progress.
When you are doing your review ask yourself if there are any roadblocks that are keeping you from making progress. If there are, come up with an action plan to help clear them.
Lastly, as you achieve the goals you have set for yourself make sure to reward yourself. Figure out what motivates you and use that to your benefit. Pat yourself on the back, give yourself a gold star, or maybe you want to buy yourself something. You have done something great, you’ve accomplished a goal…celebrate it!
So, are you going to SWEAR to reach your goals this year? Or will you be swearing because you didn’t? I’m hoping to keep my cursing to a minimum…so I’m going to SWEAR my way to achieving my 2021 goals.