For 1998 I am thinking of coming up with a set of resolutions that are SMART. At work, this is how we're supposed to plan our specific objectives during planning sessions. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound. For example, when we declare that we are going to improve our performance in managing our newsletter publication, a SMART specific objective should go like this: to produce a quarterly 12-page newsletter containing photos, news, and features about the company and employees on the first week of February, May, August and November. At the end of each year our individual and team (department) performances are then appraised against our respective S.O.s. The manager evaluating us can easily tick if we exceeded "expectations," met or achieved these most of the time, or if we performed below these expectations. Both the superior and subordinate can minimize all that b.s. about bootlicking and favoritism, if not completely do away with it.
Wouldn't it be something if we can do the same thing with our New Year's resolutions? Instead of just declaring, "I'm going to be nicer to my neighbors," we could improve on this by using the SMART rule. "I will invite them to at least two parties which I'm holding at home, such as my birthday and our 25th wedding anniversary." Because it's specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound, it is so much more doable. We could derive a better sense of accomplishment after having done it.
Most of us are probably already doing this without fully realizing it. When we plan a big project or activity that entails major expenses, we allocate a specific amount of our monthly income for savings. When we embark on a weight loss program, we make a list of do's and don'ts of what to eat, and plan a weekly exercise program. When we want to learn a new skill, either driving or ballroom dancing, we organize a budget and schedule of how many hours and days of the week it would take for us to be adequately trained.
I have been doing something closely resembling it for the last two or three years and it has made a world of a difference. For instance, I love to travel, but in the past there have always been too many lame setbacks and excuses that have prevented me from going anywhere: no money, no time, no companions. So the next time I caught myself wishing I could go abroad I made a mental note of how I was going to accomplish it. I picked Hong Kong because it was the most practical choice. Among all the travel destinations marketed by airlines and travel agencies, Hong Kong offered the highest number of tour packages at any time of the year.
During peak season, rates could be as low as $290. This means that before the recent plummet of the peso, we could go abroad with P10,000-15,000 and have ample pocket money for sightseeing and pasalubong shopping on a three-day weekend. A package tour, especially on a chartered flight, also provides us with agreeable travel companions.
Was it smart? That's subjective - some people don't appreciate spending that much money on travel when they can buy an appliance and see where their money went. Personally I believe that life is meant to be explored and lived fully, and that there's no substitute for direct experience. You can say I invested this amount on my personal growth. Was it measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound? The answer is yes, yes, yes, and yes.
Let's not forget that there are no hard and fast rules about New Year's resolutions. We can promise to be kinder, gentler, better, smarter, thinner, richer, more successful persons than we were before. Or we can resolve to straighten the mess in our lives, whether it's some "pagkukulang" or gap with a loved one. Or we can resolve to fulfill a secret dream or fantasy as I have done. The point is, we should all have some special reasons and achievable goals to look forward to in the coming year, rather than punish ourselves by dwelling on past failures, "if only's", and "could have beens", in our lives.