December is a busy month at home, but slow at the office. I suspect surveyors may find that they don’t have quite as much new work during the holiday season either. [If this isn’t the case, by all means feel free to correct me.] On this penultimate day of 2014, I want to take a moment to reflect on goals for the New Year.

I did a little bit of research on the subject and have come to understand that goals ought to be S.M.A.R.T. Specifically, goals should be:

• Specific – Write goals out and really envision all of their contours.
• Measurable – Figure out how to measure success along the path to achievement.
• Attainable – Set goals which you are willing to achieve, don’t just wish for success.
• Realistic – Notably realism is a function of not just ability, but more importantly will.
• Timely – Have a drop dead date. Also, adjust your milestones as you find necessary. 

Great, this all sounds well and good. But there were a couple of other things that I found out while I was doing my research. 

The most revealing was the idea that it might be a better idea not to even consider setting goals in the first place. If that’s the case, how do people get what they want to accomplish … done?

The answer is to concentrate on the processes which drive the goals.

The interesting thing about this approach is that one still attains their goals, but it allows people to live in the here and now. 

As someone who has an incredibly vivid ability to envision how future events might be able to play out, I often get caught up in the excitement of pursuing goals that are “out there.”

Well, to a certain extent they are. Nothing purposefully happens without first envisioning its result. Yet, it is then critical to figure out what needs to be done to make that vision a reality … and then do it!

So, here’s the deal I am offering to all of you Washington State Licensed Surveyors.

I’ll check in with you on no less than a monthly basis to help you figure out how to do any of the following:

• Envision S.M.A.R.T goals;
• Create the metrics to obtain those goals; and/or simply
• Assist you to track your completion of the processes which drive your success.

As for myself, I have a rather simple goal and I’m requesting that you help. I want to work a minimum of 10 hours each week on billable matters. With your help, that ought to be very doable. I humbly request your help now by this general posting and hope to do so directly with you in the very near future so we may all have a very … Happy New Year in 2015. Cheers!