New Year’s Resolutions! Of course you do – so does almost everyone else!
How soon are New Year’s Resolutions given up on?
The answer will be given shortly, first check out what are typically in the Top Ten List for Resolution setters:
- Lose Weight
- Eat Healthier
- Better Financial Decisions
- Quit Smoking
- Work Out More Often
- Spend More Time With My Family
- Spend More Time With My Close Friends
- Do More Exciting Things
- Find A Better Job
- Learn Something New
How soon are New Year’s Resolutions given up on?
Fast! Yes, the majority of New Year’s Resolutions are given up within the first two weeks after New Year’s Day. Each week more failed resolutions hop onto the bus ride to nowhere. By the end of the first month – what resolutions? Ask people after two months what their New Year’s Resolutions were and many will not even be able to recall what theirs were!
Why does this take place every single year without fail? Do you need proof?
Ask anyone in the fitness club industry. The first week of January tends to be one of the single busiest weeks of the year for new visits and sign ups. Once the deposit is made and the year long contract signed the new fitness visitor is now a club member. By February they may not visit the club more than once a month for the rest of the year, if that.
The one change taking place now in the fitness club industry are the low cost, no long-term contract fitness clubs. If they continue to make inroads into the fitness club industry they may change the industry, however, the first week of January will still be a heavy use week for newly minted to working out people.
How do you really stay on track and achieve what you set out to do?
Let’s start with a slight shift in thinking. Let’s not call what we want to achieve aNew Year’s Resolution. Let’s call what we are setting out to do “Setting Our Course For The Year”. We will be setting goals. Here are the ways to make certain you achieve the goals you set.
1. Set a very specific goal. This means you do not set a goal like this – “Lose Weight”
The goal might be – “Lose Twenty Pounds This Year”.
2. Write down your specific goal.
3. Let people close to you know about your goal and how important it is to you.
4. Join a group or work with someone who will hold you accountable.
5. Use any type of planning system you want and reel back the year long specific goal into monthly specific smaller goals toward achieving the year long big goal. Use dates.
For the weight loss goal the first month might state on January 31 – “weigh myself and see the two pounds I lost this month”.
Let me state here these steps apply to any type of goals. It is not only for the weight loss goal. If your goal is “To Learn To Speak Spanish This Year”. What might your monthly goals look like? Potentially you have purchased a course online and there are various sections. If there are twenty four sections your smaller monthly goal might be to complete the next two sections each month in order to complete the course by the end of the year.
6. Conduct an end of each month review for all of the goals you set and where you are in progressing toward the year long goal. Write down the progress. Write down the year long goal next to it.
7. Determine every three months if you are really committed to each of your year long goals. Make adjustments if necessary. This may mean you need to reel back on your year long goal or it may mean expanding and aiming higher.
In summary, follow these seven steps and you will be more likely to achieve your goals than if you do not. Be the one next year who set their goals and achieved them!
Do you want more guidance and tips around setting goals and achieving your goals? Be on the lookout for an email invitation to a no cost call on “Setting Your Course For The Year” coming this month in January. Not on the mailing list?
Mitch Tublin runs a boutique consulting firm with a main focus on Leadership and Communication Skill Enhancement, Business and Team Building, Executive Presence and Coaching. Based in Stamford, CT. Mitch partners with his clients to be their best all over the world.
Do you want one-on-one time working with Mitch to Set Your Course For The Year? Contact Mitch here.
Do you typically make a few New Year’s resolutions? It is widely known that over 50% of New Year’s resolutions are broken within the first seven days of the New Year. Another 50% of the remaining resolutions are broken by January 15 – meaning 75% of the brand new and created New Year’s resolutions are broken within the first two weeks and a day into the New Year.