As you set your goals for 2015, be sure to make them SMART goals, advises Julie Sievert, University of Minnesota Extension educator.

S is for Specific. Don't be vague with your goals. For example, instead of stating "I want to milk more cows next year" be specific, such as: "By the end of 2015, I want to increase the number of milking cows in my herd by 5%."

Make Your Goals SMART Goals

M is for Measurable. Make sure your goal is something that can be measured. Maybe your goal is to be happier doing your job next year. That can be pretty tough to measure. Think about things that can  be measured that would lead to or signify you being happier – for example, a certain number of days or nights away from the farm, taking a short vacation, or having family members help a certain number of days each week – these are all things that can be measured that are related to what your overall goal is, Sievert says..

A is Achievable. They should be something that you realistically can accomplish during the year. It's great to have long-term goals to guide you, but be honest with yourself about whether your goals are short-term or long-term and plan for them accordingly.

R is for Realistic or Rewarding. Your goals should be realistic to your situation. If you are currently milking 30 cows, it may not be realistic to have a goal of milking 300 cows by December 2015 (without a lot of planning and prep work already under way!). Ideally, your goals should be rewarding if you reach them and should give you a sense of accomplishment, Sievert says.

T is for Timely. Ideally you will write goals that will be achievable in the time frame you are looking at, and that will be the right fit for your farm at this time.

"Once you've brainstormed some goals for yourself or your farm, choose no more than five that represent what you want to achieve next year," he says. "Analyze your goals. If this is what your goal is, what will you have to do to reach that goal? You can use your goals like a roadmap to help in your decision-making throughout the year in this way. Additionally, you can break your annual goals into mini-goals to reach along the way and to keep you on track."

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Source: University of Minnesota Extension