Even More Advice Regarding New Year’s Resolutions
For the past five years I have written entries on why New Year’s resolutions fail and how to get better results. I highly suggest that you take a look at all of them before reading this article (or after if that is more practicable for you). They can be found here, here, here, here and here. These articles all suggest helpful strategies you can use for achieving any type of behavioral change goal you may have.
This year’s edition will focus on one important simple step that is rarely used, as well as a way to look at your New Year Goals (not resolutions) in a way that will help them propel you to success this year.
The simple step I mentioned above is to write your goals down. Just taking the time to write them down more than doubles the likelihood you will achieve them. If you want to increase your odds of success even more, put your written goals up where you can see them everyday (think bathroom mirror, your desk at work or better yet: both). Unfortunately, most people prefer to talk about them (often to impress or gain sympathy in that moment) and never go to the trouble of actually writing them down. If you are serious about achieving your goal and not just looking for attention, this is a great first step.
Once you have accomplished this simple step, it’s time to move on to re-framing the way you look at your goal(s). I break each goal down into two categories: The What and the How. For example, if I want to lose 15 pounds that is the What, Walking two miles each night after dinner would be the How. The What is usually one thing while the How can be a number of things (but less is more, at least initially).
The What can be more general (lose weight, get into better shape etc.) but the How has to be specific action-steps you can take. Eating a lighter lunch is not specific enough. Change that to eating steamed vegetables for lunch everyday. Running more is not acceptable, but if you change that run three miles everyday before work that’s excellent.
I used weight loss as my example because it is the most popular New Year’s resolution (at least for Americans).
“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other” – Abraham Lincoln. Well over 50% of Americans make at least one New Year’s resolution each year and only about 8% succeed in them in an average year. My suggestions here, and in previous year’s blogs won’t guarantee your success, but if you try any of them, your chance of ending up in the 8% will increase dramatically.
Happy Holidays!
