I was never one for making resolutions; in fact, when we asked one another what resolutions we had set for the new year, I often found myself staring blankly or making up something unrealistic on the spot. And to this day, I find resolutions to be a complete waste of time.

What I find to be productive, though, is goal setting. While you may be thinking that I have lost my mind and that they are so similar, goals and resolutions are actually quite different. Most of the time, we can associate resolutions with them being extremely long term goals that are usually made at the advent of a new year. Goals, though, are a much more broad term – they not only encompass the concept that resolutions embody, but also are far more realistic and attainable. But that’s only if you set them right.

Set a time line for your goals; divide them into what you will achieve within certain time frames (such as one month, six months, and one year). By doing so, you are motivating yourself and setting deadlines for when you will complete a task or achieve something. In addition to setting time frames, be sure to divide your goals and strive for balance. Far too often may you find yourself concentrating your goals all in one particular aspect of your life (e.g. in my case, I focus a lot on my career) and neglect the others (i.e. personal and health goals). Be sure to spread out your goals. And lastly, write down the goals you have set yourself. You’ve heard it so many times: those that write down their goals are far more likely to succeed in achieving them. Think about it: if you write them down, there’s visible documentation of your thoughts, which will make you more inclined to want to do them, especially if you can see them on a frequent basis (e.g. I keep mine on a bulletin board by my computer).

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