New Year’s Day is one of my favorite holidays. It symbolizes a fresh new start and a resolution to do better, be better, and of course, to be brilliant!
But have you noticed that abandoning our good intentions is all too easy and predictable? Apparently, less than 10%of us actually do what we resolve to do at the start of each year.
For instance, statistics tell us that if you want to improve your health and join a gym, the odds of follow through are not good. 80% of new gym goers quit within five months of joining at the start of a new year and four percent do not even make it to February.
What is the trick to making resolutions that stick?
Is it to pick an altruistic resolution about what we wish for such as Kayne West’s resolution of just wanting everyone to be happy?
Probably not.
I recommend following the tips below to help you pick a resolution that will move you into brilliance:
- Be Realistic. While wanting something grand for others might sound good, with no disrespect to Mr. West, the problem lies in the fact that we cannot control others. Make a resolution that you can accomplish.
- Consider what will get in the way of your success. Eric Larson, a contributor to Forbes suggests we consider the roadblocks to success and address those blockers head-on. We need to make decisions as to what we will do when they make it hard to keep our resolution.
- Keep it Simple. I personally love the one-word resolution idea. The com site says it best: Choose just one word. One word you can focus on every day, all year long . . . One word that sums up who you want to be or how you want to live. Additional information can be found in the book, My One Word: Change Your Life with Just One Word by Mike Ashcraft and Rachel Olsen.
- Make a step-by-step plan to implement your resolution. Making a detailed daily, weekly, or monthly plan with what you are going to do will help ensure follow through. Schedule time in your calendar to review and reinforce positive progress. For me, if it isn’t on the calendar, it just doesn’t happen.
- Reinforce your resolution with support. Many ways are available to support the implementation of your resolution. The use of quotes, daily reminders, apps, podcasts, articles, and books will encourage and provide necessary knowledge. Finally, consider sharing your resolution with others. The research is inconclusive on whether sharing your goals is a motivating factor. Therefore, you need to be the judge on whether keeping your resolution to yourself is an encouraging or discouraging incentive. For instance, if your resolution is to join a gym, you may need to confer with family members on how your change of routine will impact their day. You also may want to seek informal groups or professional groups or individuals to encourage goal completion.
Along with the ushering in of a new year, I hope you will find that these suggestions move you into the 10% that follow through on their resolutions, making 2017 shine with your brilliance!