Make 2021 resolutions bulletproof ✅
This has been a strange new year. The holidays were travel-less, party-less, family-less but we managed to have create some sweet new family traditions including nightly hot chocolate and burning the 2020 calendar on New Year's Eve (I highly recommend this. Very cathartic.). I hope you are safe and healthy and making beautiful plans for the new year. Hopefully this newsletter gives you a boost in the right direction.
Obviously, January 1 is not much different than December 31 but the start of a calendar year feels like a moment to reinvent. How do you approach the end of one year and the start of another?
In the past, I’ve found myself saying “yes” to so much. Anything I’ve ever dreamed of seemed to be back on the table every January. The new year was always going to be THE YEAR.
And by now we’ve all heard the stats about New Year's resolutions fizzling in the first six weeks. The exercise plans, the audacious goals all tend to lose their steam by March. Ambitious team vision can give way to resignation.
So what happens? How can we manage our tendency to fall off the wagon about a month in?
We know what we want. (YAY! GOALS!)
We know what we should do to get what we want. (ALL THE TASKS!)
And yet…?
Here are 5 keys to get to your endpoint successfully:
1 / Why do you care?
Get clear about why you want what you want. When you were making your goal, what did you care about taking care of? If your “why” includes a “should”, keep thinking about if it matters to you at all. Perhaps parts of your goal aren’t that thrilling but what do you care about with regard to the larger outcome? What is the thing that really matters about this goal? For the sake of what are you doing it? Keep that front of mind.
2 / Say No
Saying no to things that aren’t aligned with what we care about gives us the space for what’s important. We all only have a limited amount of time. People are going to ask for favors, help, your involvement, your participation. But here’s the thing, they need help, but they don’t necessarily need your help. If you say “no” they will move on and ask someone else. A request of you doesn’t require a commitment from you. Practice saying “no” to make space for yourself.
3 / Find a team
Get a training crew, a mastermind group, an online accountability group, a supportive team. It’s easier than ever to find any kind of specific group support usually at a reasonable price with flexible commitments. We’re more likely to succeed when held accountable by others, or helped by someone who’s been through the same issue.
4 / Planning
Writing down a plan makes it 60 - 80% more likely that you’ll succeed. Schedule time each week to get specific about which tasks you’ll take on then schedule them. Your weekly plan should include a reminder of what you are taking care of along with the tactics of who will do what by when.
5 / Breakdowns
Breakdowns happen. We fall off track. We make commitments we can’t deliver on. Don’t worry. Expect them and be ready to pivot, negotiate or shift. Having the written plan helps you see where things are likely to go off the rails - was a task too large? Are you stuck without an understanding of the next step? Assessing your weekly plan can show you specifically what needs to be tweaked.
6 / Celebrate
Celebrate the wins. Really. Life is complicated and when you do what you intended to do, it's a moment of celebration. It sends a message to your brain and body that you can do what you set out to do. It builds momentum, confidence and trust. Often, I plan how I’ll celebrate at the start of a project as a motivating force throughout.
Next steps:
Get clear on why it matters
Make space and make time to plan
Be ready to pivot or be flexible when needed... hey, we are still in some unusual circumstances so be ready to be creative.
Anytime you think of something that could be a sweet reward, throw it on a wishlist and celebrate when you achieve small victories.
PS Need tips on saying NO? Check this out. PPS Follow me on IG to get more 2021 Kickoff ideas and strategies. @iconicleadershipcoaching