When I was a kid, the only thing I recall about the Ides of March is that this was the day my oldest brother would go winter camping. I thought he was nuts! I’ve since grown up, have done my own winter camping….and have come to appreciate the ritual that my brother created with a few good friends. Through thick and thin, they would sleep overnight on March 15th, regardless of the temperatures. The Ides of March is the first day of the Roman New Year. It also marks the first day of spring in the Roman calendar.
March seems to be a time of preparation, pre-transition if you will. It’s definitely still winter out there (at least in Minnesota), yet we have some freaky weather patterns that land us weather in the 50’s two weeks after our biggest snow storm of the year! This is a great time to get organized, clean closets, and finish those taxes (if they’re not yet completed), and make some SMART goals for the next few months. SMART* stands for:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Time-limited
*my apologies for not being able to credit whomever came up with this, it is something I learned in college as well as since then in many goal-setting sessions. If anyone has the correct source for me to site, I would love to hear from you!
Setting SMART goals will help you to be consistent, be realistic and accomplish tasks that are on your list. Many of you have created goals, resolutions, or themes for the year. Some of you might have vague ideas of what you’d like to accomplish. March is a good time to remind yourself of what those goals are, and take them a step further by listing them out individually in a SMART fashion.
My theme for this year is “ALIGNMENT”. This will be the year for many things I’ve been working on or thinking about, to fall into place. Some of these items on my list might need a little “push” into place by my setting action in motion rather than waiting for things to “click” or “fall” into place. By creating SMART goals, I am more certain to see this ALIGNMENT take place.
Here’s my personal example: One of my goals last year was to have my own website. I actually started this one, but didn’t really learn how to use it, or work with it. I also didn’t have much information posted on my website, which meant that it wasn’t very helpful for those interested in learning more about my coaching services. This year began with the idea/goal that I would actually use this website regularly, be comfortable with it, and learn to utilize the website in a way that would help my coaching business. As a result, I had written this goal, “Write regularly on my website.” I started in January, and as you’ve noticed, and then have not written a blog until now….. This is not “regularly” in my book. So here is my new SMART goal, rewritten: “I will write at least one blog entry each month on my website by the 15th of each month.”
This is how it breaks down:
Specific = I will write at least one blog entry each month on my website
Measurable = by the 15th of every month
Achievable = yes, it is. I have the means, technology, knowledge and the time.
Realistic = yes! I began this goal with the idea that I would write a blog each week, and at this point in my life and work have realized that this is UNrealistic. So I have rewritten the goal to be realistic by having a minimum of one blog entry each month.
Time-limited = I set a date (the 15th of each month) as a deadline for myself and as a way to measure my progress (and you can too)!
Creating goals with others, is a good way to establish rituals. My brother and his friends going camping on March 15th every year has been an important ritual for each of them individually as well as for their friendship.
Creating goals for yourself and sharing them (and the timelines) with others, increases your chance of actually completing those goals by a vast percentage. This is one of the keys to successful coaching. As your coach, a part of my job is to assist you being successful through accountability. Increasing your successful completion of your goals is what we’ll talk about here in April. Meanwhile, here’s wishing you SMART goal writing to increase your success and assist you in creating your own rituals.
Peace – Sandi
