I love New Years.
To me, it’s always been such a time of reflection, possibility, and growth. I relish the ability to reflect on the old year, sort through it and wrap it up, and then look ahead to the blank slate that is the new year. I have a whole ritual I that I look forward to doing all year that involves a glass (or two) of champagne, some good music, and a few stolen minutes on New Year’s Eve before the festivities start to think about my accomplishments in the old year and set my goals and resolutions for the new year. There is something wistful and romantic about it, probably because, like Gary Ryan Blair notes, “New Years is the only holiday that celebrates the passage of time.” (except birthdays, decidedly not romantic).
And yet what I know from personal experience – and research has validated – is that not all resolutions stick. In fact, most don’t. Statistics tell us that after 6 months half of people are off of their resolutions, and by the next New Year’s only 10% of folks are still working toward theirs. Eeek.
So what can you (and I) do this year to make sure that the goals and resolutions we set before the stroke of midnight on the 31st have a fighting chance of making it? We can keep them simple.
Resolutions are Like Any Other Goal
Who doesn’t love a good New Year’s celebration? Your resolutions, that’s who. Why you might ask? Not because they don’t fit into their party dress anymore, but because they get all trumped up and then ditched.
At their heart, Resolutions are just like any other goal. They are a statement of desired outcome or action that requires small, measurable steps to achieve. Yet we dress them up with so much emotional importance that they seem to be something bigger, more grandiose, and more intimidating. And you know what they say: the bigger they are, the harder their fall (or fail? I never know which one’s right).
If we treated resolutions like we did any other old goal then I’m quite sure those statistics would be more impressive.
So this year, let’s keep our resolutions clear, unemotional, and SMART. If you’d like a (free!) worksheet to help formulate your thoughts that you can keep posted and visible throughout the year, click here to download The Life Uncommon Goals and Resolutions Worksheet.
If you’re looking for some information on using New Year’s to build a successful entrepreneurial business plan (and you should!), you can find more details in my article at Yaro Starak’s Entrepreneurs-Journey, “Write a Killer 2012 Business Plan.”
How have you learned to keep your resolutions? Share your strategies in the comments!
Here’s to your Uncommon Life – and a very happy and successful New Year!
About Nacie Carson
Nacie Carson is an author, freelance writer, blogger, and coach who focuses on career transition and entrepreneurship. You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook.
