Revolutionize Resolutions (Field Notes #2)

I cannot stand New Year's Resolutions. They've always been frustrating to me, because why wait until the beginning of the year to start something you're inevitably going to give up on 6 weeks later?! Don't get me wrong, I am all for setting goals and chasing them...Praos

wouldn't be around if that was not the case, I am all for self betterment and finding creative ways to push through the challenges that life presents, but it drives me crazy to think the world has to wait for 1/1 on a yearly basis to start. That's what I've been thinking about this week, and that is why the discussion this week is about revolutionizing resolutions.

The important frame of mind should not be focused on figuring out what the resolutions will be at the beginning of each year, rather the milestones to be reached. Whether it's a milestone for your business or for yourself personally, I encourage everyone, including myself, to take time on a regular basis to find the time to sit quietly and envision what the milestones are. For me, it's a quarterly practice. I take the time to reflect on where I've been, where I am going, and what the road looks like in front of me. But, I am not just looking short term, I'm looking in the distance as well. I want to picture the plan, put the plan in motion and then improvise and adapt the short term execution of that as life presents the challenges mentioned earlier.

What happens to most when life begins to put bumps in the road and challenges in front of them?... Quitters Day. The Friday of the second full week of January. Here are some stats; More than 50% of Americans make resolutions, less than 9% of them succeed. By the Friday of the second full week of January, 35% of those people will have already quit and another 20% will have already begun slacking off. Come on people! 55% of the entire subset of Americans who decided to set a resolution will have quit or begun to slack, that is SAD. But, I believe it is much more than that...the mentality of, "well I can try again next year" is a plague. Unfortunately, it is a byproduct of people not being able to push through. Pushing through the challenges, the cookie platters at the in-laws, the snooze button on the alarm clock or the 400th declined cold call. All things presenting challenges to anyone who made a resolution, but I believe by revolutionizing resolutions and seeing them as ongoing, evolving milestones and goals - the challenges are easier to adapt to and overcome allowing you to push through.

That being said, what is the fix? It is like I said before goals and milestones, regularly planned at regular intervals and allowing yourself to evaluate, adapt and extend. Nothing wrong with having a plan for the year or even the next 5-10 years, but what are the steps that have to be taken to get there? Those are the goals and milestones to be attacked now. The question then becomes, how?

My great grandmother used to say she wanted to get .1% every day. It feels small, and it feels like it doesn't make a difference, but over the course of the year, as it compounds daily - the best case scenario is 44% better every year, not just 36% better. Additionally, missing a day, or taking a step backwards doesn't kill you. It is a small enough impact that it allows you to bounce back, push through, execute the short term goal and reach the next milestone on the way to the broader goal.

So what does it mean? Forget the resolution this year. Set the goals of where you want to be, personally and professionally and then put the milestones along the way to guide the path to success.