New Years Resolutions
As an executive coach, we
work regularly with leaders and executives around goals. Often we finish a year
with a review of the past year including both the successes and failures. With
that review we then look forward and design the intentions for the coming year.
It does not go unnoticed that we are looking forward to a new year at the same
time that many are talking about New Years resolutions.
When a leader sets new
goals for a coming year we find that success rates increase if many factors are
considered in much the same way anyone should consider the annual ritual of New
Years resolutions.
As a noun, a goal is
defined as: the state of affairs that a plan is intended to achieve and then
(when achieved) terminates behavior intended to achieve it. An ideal goal should be about a
lifestyle change that is ongoing versus reached and then terminated
irrespective of it being a leadership goal or a personal resolution.
Some tips we would have you
consider when setting goals would include:
1. Specifics versus
generalities are most important. Being nicer to people this year does not
qualify. Spending less does not qualify. Losing weight does not qualify. These
are doomed for failure due to the lack of specificity. Define any goal or
resolution in a way that allows you to track and measure your progress.
2. If you have not had
success in the past honoring resolutions you have made then pick one and stay
focused. Trying to take on too many resolutions at once makes for difficulty
staying focused. Break the goal down into smaller, more measureable and
manageable bites. Make realistic resolutions – not grandiose change the world
ones. Quitting cold turkey resolutions are the hardest to achieve. Maybe
consider a decreasing target over the course of the year with smaller step
targets along the way. A resolution should be a little scary but not crazy.
3. Write down your goal and
have at least one accountability partner. Someone you declare your resolution
with and ask them to help. Set check ins and calls whenever you are tempted to
quit. A Stanford University study found that when people wrote down their goal,
it increased the probability of them achieving it by over 70%. Resolutions
are more sustainable when shared. Peer-support makes a difference in success
rates with New Years resolutions.
4. Do a values exercise. For a resolution/goal to stick it has to be aligned
with your core values. Without a deep connection to who you are and what really
matters to you, failure is just around the corner. When you are truly passionate
about the goals you set for yourself, success potential increases significantly.
When your resolutions connect to a deeper sense of purpose, it drives you to
think a much bigger game and run through any obstacles that might get tossed in
front of you. New Years resolutions have shifted from their beginnings. It used
to be we focused on good works and deeds like becoming less self-centered, more
helpful, and improving character.
Today the focus is more on looking good, like body image, diet, and possessions.
This may be another contributor to the high failure rate.
6. Stay with it – persist.
Think of how overcrowded the gyms are for the month of January. Once the
initial strength of a conviction is challenged by everyday life, the enthusiasm
toward change takes a nose dive. What are you willing to do to stick with your
intentions?
