I hope you’ll enjoy my guest Jeremiah Hubbard’s post. I did!
Did you know that by Spring, 68% of Americans who made a New Year’s resolution will have broken it, and that only 15% will claim success after one year? We are nine days into 2014 and that means that a lot of people are already struggling to maintain the resolutions that they set for this year. While some may have set new resolutions, others are simply reviving the dead ones they have moved to resolve year after year. Why is it that we make resolutions, but fail to meet them? Where do we fall short when we don’t meet these challenges that are laid out at the beginning of every year? Who is keeping us from reaching the goals that we have set with great intent? When do these goals disappear and more importantly are not even missed until the clock strikes 12 every 1st of January? How do you keep from getting fatigue before the first 3 months of the year are even over?
Simply put, the answer to all these questions can be found in the resolutions themselves. But, before we get to the answer, let’s find out what type of person you are. Do you make resolutions? If yes, keep reading. If no, keep reading. Many people make resolutions but fail to keep them, while others make no resolutions at all. The ones who don’t make resolutions have come to realize, “Why even make a resolution? Look at all of the people who make them, but don’t keep them.” While many of the ones who do make resolutions, only do so to satisfy some need to feel empowered when going into the New Year. They set goals like: This year I will lose weight. This year I will spend more time with my family. This year I will further my education. This year I will reinvent myself. The list goes on and on.
Now back to the answer. The reason New Year’s resolutions don’t last is because we do not carefully take the time to analyze the resolution and what it will take to meet it. The New Year begins and we make a resolution, “There, it’s written down with all the other resolutions and now I will accomplish it!” Not so fast! We make these resolutions with the sole intent of accomplishing them, but we have already failed! Every CEO understands the importance of task management, but most individuals do not. In order for a goal to be complete, there must be a start time and an end time along with a proposed outcome. If you want to lose weight this year, your resolution should look similar to this:
“Beginning January 1, 2014 I will begin my journey to lose 20 pounds by choosing healthy eating habits and exercising regularly. I intend to lose 2 pounds by the 1st of each month. By November 1st, 2014 I will have lost the weight that I desire to lose.”
Notice there is a beginning, end and desired outcome. To take it a step further, there are milestones. Milestones? Yes. These are the micro-goals within your overall resolution. In the above example, this is the number of pounds that are to be lost each month. By setting up micro-goals it will be easier to stay on course. This formula will work with any resolution that you may set. By writing a definitive statement of your resolution with a beginning and end date, how the resolution will be accomplished, along with micro-goals along the way, you will be on a better path to see your resolutions resolved, rather than being passed on to the next year. You will also want to post the resolution in a place where you will see it at least a couple of times throughout the day. For example, post it by the bed so that it is seen first thing in the morning and last before going to bed. If you are trying to lose weight, post it on the refrigerator. To get the most out of it, save it as the background to your smart phone, put a copy in your car, on your desk, well you get the point.
In the classic piece, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, Mr. Hill makes this statement, “Before success comes in any man’s life, he is sure to meet with much temporary defeat, and, perhaps, some failure. When defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and most logical thing to do is to QUIT. That is exactly what the majority of men do.” The first thing to resolve is that you will not QUIT! Don’t overload yourself on resolutions. Take one resolution that you want to accomplish and focus on it. As that resolution gains momentum, introduce a new resolution. Use the formula and stagger them out and in no time, you will see that you are accomplishing the resolutions and moving forward!
About the author: Jeremiah Hubbard is a business consultant and CEO of Ideal Marketing Innovations, llc. You can contact him at http://www.idealmarketinginnovations.com
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