As another busy year comes to a close, many of us, understandably, find our thoughts wandering from the daily grind to the forthcoming holiday and festive season.

I, for one, love this time of year. From November to Christmas (and even up to Australia Day), there’s a unique buzz around the office, in social settings and out-and-about generally. It’s a time to celebrate success, bond with work colleagues in social, preferably sunny surrounds, spend time with family and look towards the coming year with optimism.

The release of pressure many of us feel towards the end of the year is a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of the year proper, and a great chance to reflect. It’s a time when we can assess the progress we’ve made (or not made) towards achieving our goals set at the start of the year. In many cases, this reflection breeds pride and a sense of satisfaction as our goals – whether they be personal, professional, or otherwise – are ticked off one by one.

For some, though, such reflection is not so positive. The ‘missed chance’, the ‘rued opportunity’, the ‘unrealistic expectations’ – such phrases also abound at this time of year as some of us lament what might have been, make excuses for poor performance, or accept the fact that the year just wasn’t one of our best.

How, then, does one look towards the coming year with a renewed sense of optimism if 2011 just didn’t work out?

Whether your employer has a dedicated performance management program or you individually plan, commit to and measure progress against your goals each year, there are a few key pointers you can think about when setting your goals that can make all the difference to whether you achieve them or not.

Make sure the goals you set are SMART:

Specific – what’s the detail? You might want to increase your face-to-face time with clients, but how exactly do you intend to do that?

Measurable – how can you measure progress towards achieving your goal(s)? What criteria will be in place so you can monitor and track progress?

Achievable – is it realistic to think you can actually achieve your goals(s), or is it a ‘pie in the sky’? Can you really write a book in 10 months?

Realistic – you may want to become a pilot next year, but if you’re a designer by trade, it’s not going to happen. Make your goals realistic, and you’ll stand a better chance of achieving them.

Time-limited – how much time do you have? This is linked to goals being achievable and realistic; given timeframes, just how likely is it you’ll be able to set up your own agency by the end of next year?

Many people are left frustrated at the end of the year as they see limited progress towards achieving their goals. If you’re in that position right now, think about it: were your goals SMART, or were they so broad, ill-defined and/or ambitious that you never really stood a chance?

Obviously, nothing comes without hard work. Your goals can be SMART but if you aren’t prepared to put in the hard yards, they won’t be achieved and this time next year you may well be rueing another ‘missed opportunity’.

The end of any year is a great opportunity to take stock of what worked and, more importantly, what didn’t. So, as the summer months take hold, remember to relax, reflect and resolve to achieving your SMART goals in 2012!