New Year's Resolutions...don't let them be your one-hit wonder
A whopping 40% of people set New Year’s resolutions on or around January 1st each year. But like the song “Butterfly” by Crazy Town, New Year’s resolutions seem to come and go overnight. By the end of January, only 25% are still committed to and working on their resolutions and a dismal 8% actually end up reaching their goals. 8%! So why is it so hard to stick to a resolution?
Sometimes we set resolutions, or goals, that aren’t really ours. Meaning, we saw something or someone and thought, “Yeah, I want to do or be that.” We have also been conditioned to think small. Our parents told us to be practical, be realistic, set attainable goals. School taught us about classroom conformity and staying within the bounds of the classroom rules. No wonder most adults end up living a life filled with the mundane, average, and ordinary. We have to re-train our brains to THINK AND LIVE BIG.
To live your life to its ultimate potential, the things you’re passionate about already exist. Think about things you’re willing to do for no pay? When talking about something, do you find yourself going on and on about it? Can you not wait to start working on it?
Grant Cardone, a writer for Entrepreneur Magazine says, “Find that thing that you are obsessed with and then make that your life and purpose, not just a simple resolution.” Anyone who ever created something new and amazing only did so because they refused to let go of an idea. They became obsessed with it, made a plan, and worked hard at it everyday until they made it happen. That can be you.
So how do you do that? You gotta make a plan. If you’re flying by the seat of your pants day-to-day, not thinking about what you’re doing tomorrow, next week, next month, or five years from now, you’re seriously winging it. And for some people, that’s okay. But if you’ve got big goals, aspirations, and achievements you want to attain, you have to be proactive and make some plans to get there.
Here are some tips to get you moving in the right direction:
Know where you want to go. Just like a trip, you have to know where you’re heading. Once you know the destination, you’ll be able to map out the steps and mini-goals you need to get there.
Find a tribe. Where you find a successful person, there’s likely other successful people around them. You can achieve more when you’re surrounded by people who motivate you, like a coach, an advisor, or mentor.
Set goals that are specific and push you out of your comfort zone. Have measurable mini-goals that contribute to your big goal. “Grow my business” is too vague. Instead, “Attend two networking events in February” is much more specific and challenging.
Know your barriers and time-suckers. When it comes to your time, be realistic. If traffic puts you behind schedule or your kids get sick and you get behind on your goals, you might become discouraged or stop working on your goals altogether. Build in buffer time and have backup plans.
Work in intervals. It can’t be work, work, work all the time. Make sure to schedule in some time to give your brain a break. The book, Peak Performance, mentions working in intervals of 52 minutes followed by 17 minutes of rest. If you go on social media once you get home, make it a game and set a goal of 52 minutes of work followed by 17 minutes of rest on social media.
Don’t multitask. We’ve been taught that achievers multitask all the time. This can result in subpar work, more distractions than ever, and spending more time going back and forth between projects. To be productive, focus on one thing at a time. Work in small chunks, focus on your mini goals, and do great quality work.
So, don’t wait until the New Year to make resolutions. Don’t be the person who sets a resolution and two weeks later, falls back into the same patterns. Start tomorrow by thinking about what you’re truly passionate about and make a plan to do it. And my goodness, stick with it. We all want the staying power and motivation of Usher’s “Yeah”. Talk about a long-time classic. I can’t wait to see what you come up with.
Sources:
Cardone, Grant. (2016). Entrepreneur Magazine.