One of the main criteria for a goal or objective is to make sure it is achievable. If it is not achievable, the goal is worthless.

Let’s say my physical goal was to be 175 lbs., wear a size 32 waist, be able to bench twice my body weight and do 50 pullups from the hanging position.

That would be a great goal to paste on my mirror but it would be meaningless to me because it is unachievable. Now if my goal was to weigh 190, be able to run a 10k under an hour and bike a century (100 miles.) Now that may actually be achievable at my age. Certainly does not describe the current state of conditioning (ha) but it would be achievable. Now if I was going to win a 67 Shelby Mustang upon accomplishment of those goals, I would probably be driving the Shelby within 3 months. Why, because that would really motivate me.

Goals or objectives apply to health, family, career, finances, education, relationships and many other areas of life. My point is, for a goal or objective to be worth striving for, the goal or objective must be definable and achievable. If you cannot define it, you will never achieve it, because you will never know if you reached it.

As we go into the end of the year when many people are thinking about changes in 2016, my philosophy is to keep it simple, be able to define it and make it achievable. Happy holidays. KT