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A new approach to New Year’s resolutions

A new approach to New Year’s resolutions

I’m a big, big believer in the power of New Year’s resolutions.

I just happen to think that January 1 is a terrible time to make them.

Most people wake up that morning, pour a cup of coffee, and only then start thinking about what they want to achieve in the coming year.

But making your resolutions on New Year’s Day is a lot like bending down to tie your shoelaces when the starting gun fires. Sure, you’re on the right track. But you’re going to be behind from the get-go. And it’s going to be so much harder to reach the finish line on time.

This year, why not WIN the race instead?

Imagine waking up on January 1, 2014 with your goals already clearly established and firmly implanted in your mind.

Imagine not having to plan the actions that are going to get you to your goals, because you’re already taking them?

Imagine not having to wait weeks or months to see results, because you’ve already experienced them?

You can.

All you have to do is change the calendar.

Have your own personal New Year’s Day… in November!

Don’t start formulating and working on your resolutions on January 1. Start TODAY.

That doesn’t mean writing down the first things that pop into your head and then walking away from them for the next eight weeks. It also doesn’t mean diving in without a plan.

You’re starting early, so you’ve got time. USE IT. Think… really think… about what you want to accomplish in 2014, and why. Get crystal-clear on your goals, and make sure they’re worthy.  Not sure what that means? Watch this video before you do anything else.

Once you’ve got your resolutions clear and firm in your mind, decide what actions you’re going to need to take each and every day to make them a reality.

Again, you’re not up against the clock here, so think it through in detail and write them down. Have a “test period” during which you implement those actions to see if a) they’re realistic, and b) they work. If not, tweak and adjust until you land on the plan you know will get you there.

Finally, decide what you’re going to do to maintain your enthusiasm and support your efforts throughout the year.

This is where most people fall down. Everyone’s gung-ho at the start. Three, six, or nine months in, that feeling has often faded and the resolutions are half-met or abandoned altogether. But there are some simple and powerful ways to keep yourself fired up and on-task. You can:

  • Read a full chapter of your favorite motivational book once a month, and keep it with you at all times for quick reference. Once you finish, start over at the beginning, or pick up a new one.
  • Pull a 2014 Resolutions Mastermind group together, and set a monthly or even weekly conference call to check in with each other on your progress, share your challenges and breakthroughs, and hold each other accountable.

Having your 2014 resolutions clarified, your plan of action established, and your support system in place when the clock strikes midnight on January 1 will make all the difference between merely making those resolutions and actually achieving them.

If you start today and genuinely commit to the process, you will be guaranteeing that this time next year, you’ll be looking back at a string of incredible accomplishments, and living the life that you’re dreaming of today.

So put on your party hat, pour a glass of champagne, and get down to it. And come this January 1, you’ll really have something to celebrate!

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