Did you set goals for 2012?  If so, did you use the SMART criteria?

Specific – Measurable – Attainable – Reasonable – Time-based

The good thing about using the SMART criteria is that it gives some traction to our goals.  The down side is that they are focused on our actions, and the outcome of those actions.  To put real power into our goals we need to look first at who we are and who we want to be.  From there then we can align our actions to our being, and build what we do from who we are.  Realizing the full potential comes when we take it the next step and complete the cycle by assessing whether our actions enrich who we are.

Before you evaluate your goals to see if they’re SMART, first consider whether your goals are RICH.

R – Right
Is what I’m doing and how I do it consistent with my values?

I – Influential
Does what I’m doing and how I do it have a positive impact not only on myself but on others as well?

C – Challenging
Does what I’m doing and how I do it challenge not only my abilities but also my way of thinking?

H – Heart thumping
Does what I’m doing and how I do it make me alive? Do I approach my work with the attitude, “Let me at it! This isn’t just about making a living, this is about living! Bring it on!”

Here’s to a RICH and SMART 2012!

“You may say, ‘I’ve tried so many times before, but nothing seems to happen.’ That’s what the mountain climber could have said after three failed attempts to reach the top of Mount Everest. Instead, he looked up at the summit and announced, ‘You defeated me once. You defeated me twice. You defeated me three times. But mountain, I will someday conquer you, because you cannot get any bigger, and I can.’ ”

Neil Eskelin