SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, which helps to ensure that your efforts are focused and aligned.

Knowing when to stop proofreading, editing, or reworking is a skill. Striving for excellence is admirable, and being ambitious is great, but there comes a point where we need to stop and let our efforts be good enough.

Instead of unrealistic New Year’s resolutions, I prefer to take a more holistic approach at the start of a new year. A great way to do this is to choose a Word of the Year instead.