Flickr: BazaarBizarreSF
Game changers are people who love making goals because they love reaching goals, and the hard work required to get from start to finish. Setting and keeping a New Year’s resolution is a tricky goal because so many of us lack the foresight and/or commitment to stick with it. That’s why a whopping 92 percent of us fail to keep going on these type of promises. Too often, New Year’s resolutions are more obligation than aspiration.
Here are my best three personal development tips for New Year’s resolutions that work.
1. Start when you see the need, not necessarily on January 1st.
I always love all the new faces in the gym in January, and I pray that I still see them in April (or February for that matter). If there is something in your life you want to shift, why wait for an arbitrary date such as New Year’s? That single day in our culture shouldn’t own the right of starting the change you wish to see.
Given that I’m writing this right before January 1st, this may sound like advice to procrastinate. It’s not. The message is like Nike’s: Just do it. As a sports agent, I saw the power of this over and over. When a pro golfer like Matt Kuchar needed to make a change to his swing, he did it then. Same for a coach needing to make changes to a team.
The best time doesn’t have to be Jan. 1. The best time is when you identify the need.
2. Document your specific, visual goal in the present tense.
To make a vibrant, energizing goal, think visually. What do I want my life to look like at the end of 2015? Or at the end of 2020? Or even further into the future?
Make your answers present tense and a complete sentence. “At the end of 2015, I weigh x pounds.” “My net worth is up $150,000 from a year ago.” “I attended religious services twice a week in 2015.”
Specific, visual sentences like these serve as the compass to guide you to success.
3. Recruit an accountability partner.
Who is going to support you on this journey? Someone who asks, “How are you doing today?” is worthless. An effective partner/coach will keep asking questions—the hard ones you need to hear to maintain your quest.
They will be insistent. If you’re serious about dropping pounds, you will want someone who is unafraid to consistently ask questions like, “What do you weigh today?”
They will ask for specific details (like where and when and how much). Progress is measurable.
They will ask for documentation. Photos (like the scale reading that shows how much weight you’ve lost) or it didn’t happen.
The takeaway
Personal development requires support. The three tips shared in this blog are a way to help you get going and keep going on your quest for the insight and instruction to create your own blueprint for getting the most out of your talent and time. Starting when you see the need, documenting your goal in the present tense and recruiting an accountability partner are three tips that have helped me achieve important personal change. Let me know how they work for you.
Molly Fletcher helps inspire and equip game changers for leading well and with purpose. Her recent book, “A Winner’s Guide to Negotiating: How Conversation Gets Deals Done” (McGraw-Hill, 2014), draws on her decades as a sports agent and negotiator on behalf of pro athletes, coaches and broadcasters. Follow Molly on Twitter @MollyFletcher.
