SMART new year's resolutions

Every year, I make the same resolutions (eat right, exercise more, etc.), and every year, I faithfully follow them for about 2 weeks. Then real life sets in, and the best laid plans go awry. This year, I’m applying some of my professional skills toward better resolutions.

The hip new(ish) buzzword in performance evaluations is the setting of SMART goals as a way of assessing workplace success. A SMART goal is something that is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. For example, “eat healthier food” doesn’t count because it’s not specific or time-bound, and it's a bit hard to measure. A better goal would be “eat at least one serving of fresh green vegetables every day”. Someone who leads a sedentary lifestyle shouldn’t set a goal to run a marathon next month because that’s not attainable, but setting a goal to run a 5K by the end of the year probably is.

With that in mind, in order of hardest to easiest, here’s my SMART 2015:

1. Exercise 20 minutes per day, 3 days per week.

Ideally, I would like to exercise more than that, but it’s a start. I used to be in really good shape until my thyroid decided to go haywire when I was in law school. There was a time when just getting out of bed was a massive achievement, so I need to start out small here when rebuilding. I’ll try to work up to more, but I want the initial goal to be modest.

2. Get a permanent job that makes at least $X per year.

X is a number that I have in mind personally that I’m not going to post here. Ever since I left my cushy (but ethically uncomfortable) job at a defense contractor, I’ve been freelancing/consulting/temping or whatever you want to call it. I kind of prefer “consulting” because I’m still doing professional level work, just on a contract basis instead of a long-term basis. I’ve had gigs lasting up to a year, and I know nothing is certain in this economy, but I still want the stability of a standard job.

This one has some sub-steps. I’ll have to keep up on my networking, and I’ll have to keep applying to jobs. I’m casting a wide net at this point. Ideally, I would like something as a faculty member at a college or university. I’m also considering attorney and HR jobs. In the meantime, I’ll continue with the contract work.

3. Reduce my overall debt by $Y.

Once again, Y is a number I have chosen but will not post here. This goal is a sub-goal to my more long-term goal of buying a house. That goal will take a few years, but I need to start somewhere. I’m already really good at sticking to a budget and living within my means. (The debt is from school and my bout with unemployment this past year.) Basically, if I keep getting good contracts or if I land a good job, this goal will be the easiest of the three to meet.

I guess this means I’ll need to give myself a performance review at the end of the year!