It’s the first Monday of the New Year and it’s the perfect time to start planning, thinking, and setting goals to achieve your best year yet. To avoid making 2016 another extension of your experiences in 2015, then you must have goals and develop action plans to reach the goals. It is important to set specific goals for each of the seven human development areas: physical, social, mental, spiritual, financial, family and career development.

Below are 6 tips on setting goal setting that could help make 2016 your best year yet:

Tip #1: Set small goals
Break down your big goals into smaller ones. The bigger a goal looks, the more it creates fear. The smaller the goal the easier it is to achieve.

Tip #2 Keep it S.M.A.R.T
Ensure your goals are S.M.A.R.T, which is an acronym for: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely.

Tip #3 Write It Down
Writing your goals down will not only ring a bell on what you are to achieve but will also help you to track your progress in the execution of the goals.

Tip #3 Tell Someone
Once you have set your goals and ensured that they are SMART, tell someone about it. You can involve your family and friends in helping you stay on track toward achievement of your goals.

Tip #4 Stay Persistent, Don’t Give Up
Working towards your goals will come with challenges, difficulties and frustration. So you need to persevere, encourage yourself and stay persistent. Whatever your biggest dreams and desires are for 2016; STAY PERSISTENT. You can write this words of Ralph Marston and paste it where you can always see it: “Soft water wears away the hardest stone, not by sheer force but by relentless persistence.”

Tip #5 Track Your Progress
Keep a record. It is important to track your progress weekly, monthly, quarterly etc. Take time to review your goals – write out what worked, what didn’t, why it didn’t and how you can do better. Keeping track of your progress will help you know how far you have gone since you started.

Tip #6 Celebrate
Finally, celebrate. Yes, whenever you reach a goal – celebrate it! Remember to thank those that helped you achieve it too. Then go back to the goals that are yet to be accomplished.

You can use these tips on goal-setting to create an amazing 2016. Above all, try to keep your goals SMART: S – Specific, M – Measurable or Meaningful, A – Action-Oriented, R – Relevant or Rewarding, T – Time-bound.