Goals

No shame here, but I'm following the idea of the Mrs' New Year's Blog.  I love the idea of New Year's Resolutions, but I don't see the NEED to have them only to begin 1-1 and to fall apart within a matter of weeks.  We can always resolve to do just about anything at just about any time we desire.  There is nothing magical about January 1st... as a matter of fact, its quite terrible to me here in Louisville, Ky (always COLD in January).  I would have a hard time resolving to run more often if I decided to do so on Jan 1st.
The real issue that needs to be addressed are the resolutions themselves.  How often do we make resolutions and never achieve the desired results?  It is said that between 8-15% of people ever achieve their resolutions... "why," you ask.  These are not just resolutions, but goals (goals are dreams with a timetable attached to them (stolen happily from an Acts 29 podcast).  Sure, you resolve to lose weight, but do you ever take the time to say how much weight you want to lose and how you are going to go about doing this?
For example:
Resolution: I want to lose weight in 2014
Goal: I want to lose 20 lbs by the end of 2014

• How I will lose 20 lbs by the end of 2014
• Run/jog twice a week and visit the gym once a week
• the jog will be a 20 minute jog for 3 weeks, then transition to distance running of no less than 3-5 miles a run
• the gym workouts will consist of getting to 50 sit ups and 30 push ups in a sitting, then progress to light weightlifting (can still expound on this)
• I will eat vegetables at every dinner I have at home
• I will stop drinking soda during breakfast and switch to coffee
• etc.

As shown, it is necessary to set a measurable goal to achieve the resolution.
I want to love my wife better in 2014 - sure, I want to do this, but how can I actually say at the end of the year that I have loved my wife better?  Easy way to do this: think about how many times I have prayed with my wife last year... increase that number this year.  How many times did I spontaneously buy her a gift/take her to her favorite places/just be with her without being prompted in 2013 (hard to count, sure, but you do have an idea)?  Do it more in 2014.  If I do these things more, I will most assuredly love my wife better.

Another thing to watch for is some unrealistic resolution: I want to create an assembly line that will produce robots that will reverse climate change. - HOW IN THE WORLD WILL YOU DO THIS?  WHERE DO YOU EVEN START? --- Keep your resolution simple.  The simpler the goal, the more likely we are to achieve it.

Lastly... write it down and keep that list in a place that we will see it regularly, even daily. By seeing it on a regular basis, we are more likely to hold ourselves accountable.

So, let's make our resolutions measurable, simple and where we can see them... then, on New Year's Eve, we can all talk about how we actually knocked out at least one of dreaded resolutions, like the other 8-15% of the world.  I mean, who wouldn't want to be in that elite number?  I'll see you guys at the end of the year 20 lbs lighter and 25 books smarter :)

What about you?  What are your goals?  What advice would you add to this?