The New Year has begun and many people have set New Year resolutions.

It is easy to make New Year resolutions and within a few weeks those same resolutions are often abandoned.

In saying that, it is important to set goals for the year ahead. Many of us think about what we would like to achieve during the year. However after becoming busy with work and life in general those goals are less likely to be achieved.

There are usually two reasons that this happens:

1. The goals have not been written and placed in a visible location (so that you don't forget them)
2. If they have been written, they have not been written in a way that will ensure action

This is where the SMART acronym assists in the achievement of goals. SMART goals help to ensure that your goals are written in a clear manner that will enable action to achieve the goals.

Effectiveness vs efficiency and achieving goals

Is it better to be effective or efficient? These two terms are often misunderstood.

According to Timothy Ferriss, the author of The 4-Hour Work Week, 'effectiveness' is doing the things that get you closer to your goals whereas 'efficiency' is performing a given task – whether important or not – in the most economical manner possible. Efficiency is important but it is useless unless applied to the right things.

Being busy does not necessarily imply that you will be effective. How can you be more effective in your work life so that you can achieve your goals?

When considering your goals for the New Year, include an element of effectiveness in the actions that you need to take to ensure that your goals can be achieved.

How can you be more effective in the tasks that you do each day that will help you to achieve your goals?