It’s that time of year when many people make resolutions and set goals for the upcoming year. Often, within the first few weeks of the new year, they have been abandoned. In fact, most resolutions have been abandoned by January 17th! People struggle to figure out why they didn’t work and go back on autopilot with little or nothing changing.
Whether it is a goal to, lose weight, get in shape, save more money, stop drinking, or take a trip, most often resolutions don’t work out for two simple reasons. 1) You have no real plan, 2) You are focused on outcomes, not changing behaviours.
For a goal (resolution) to work, there are some simple rules. First, it has to be more than some vague notion. To achieve any goal, it has to be something you are committed to doing.
Goals should be SMART. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and have a Timeframe.
That is the framework for a plan. You can apply this method to any goal you want to set or resolution you are making.
Don’t focus on the outcome. Focus on changing your behaviours, a little each day. By doing that, you will get to your goal faster than if you try to change everything at once.
You can learn these principles by reading my new book: 1% Better Every Day which shows you step by step how to make changes in your life a little at a time so you can create a life you are excited to be living.
It is also important to be setting goals (resolutions) for the right reasons. Don’t join the gym to lose weight or get in shape for your partner or because society says you should look a certain way. Do it for you, or it won’t stick.
Living your best life isn’t about pleasing other people. It is about being authentic to yourself.
Brad Oneil is a high-performance coach and therapist with 20 years of experience helping people break free from autopilot and create lives of purpose, passion, and potential. Knowing there is an overabundance of information available, he develops processes for transformation and guides clients to “trust the process” because content informs and process transforms.
