Happy New Year! Can you believe it’s 2017? It’s the perfect time for us to reflect on 2016 and set goals for the coming months. The reality is, this year will go by in a flash. So how do we ensure that, come next January, we aren’t looking back on 2017 and asking ourselves, “what in the heck did I actually accomplish this year?”

Statistics show that only 3 people out of 100 write down their goals and that 92% of New Years goals fail by January 15th. Yikes. I’d like to think I can hang in there past that measly 2 week mark, but the truth is, unless I am intentional about goal setting, I am just as likely as the next person to fall short. So, every year, I set one goal for each of the most important areas of my life. I call these areas The Six Fs: Faith, Family, Friends, Fitness, Finance and Fun (how’s THAT for catchy?). I make sure each of these six goals are SMART, meaning that they are specific, measurable, attainable, reasonable and time-bound.

Setting SMART goals allows me to then break down each goal into smaller tasks – providing mile markers to then track my progress weekly, monthly and quarterly. This process isn’t for everyone, but it certainly makes me think twice before curling up on the sofa and binging on favorite Netflix show…most days, anyway!