Excerpted from Bob Karcher’s author blog Who Are the Joneses Anyway?
I can’t imagine a person becoming a success who doesn’t give this game of life everything he’s got.” — Walter Cronkite
Resolutions. Goals. Objectives. We call them many things but this time of year we most commonly hear the term “resolution” when we make a decision to do something in the coming year.
You’ve been there. It’s New Year’s Eve and you feel like you must declare to yourself and the world at least one big thing you’ll commit to doing in the next twelve months. You’re under pressure… and so you go for the typical, the obvious… and you commit to a quick answer, perhaps even one of these: spend less, save more, live life to the fullest, get organized, live healthier, lose weight, work less, recreate more.
These are all terrific. And you meant it when you said it. Perhaps you even signed up for another gym membership, finally bought that new planner, or even cut up the credit card to your favorite retailer.
So why do so many of our resolutions fail so quickly? Here’s why…
Too many resolutions don’t make it past the first two weeks of the year for many reasons. Here are some common ones and ways to help ensure your resolutions are successful.
Dreaming too small. Now wait, wouldn’t a resolution fail because it was too big? Actually it’s not the size of your goal that matters here. What’s really important is connecting your resolution to your bigger dreams.
Here’s an example. Suppose you want to “spend less.” Terrific goal. But why do you want to spend less? How will your life be better if you do? Perhaps it’s because excess spending is creating unnecessary debt and stress in your marriage.
Maybe a happier marriage is what you are really trying to achieve. Now there’s a goal worth shooting for! If over-spending is creating marital stress then by all means figure out how to reduce spending but look at how this action is connected to a much larger life-improvement goal. This will help give you the motivation to make your resolution a reality. Connect any resolution to a bigger dream like this.
Too self-focused. Most of the resolutions I hear are focused on improving one’s self. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be a better you, but couldn’t we all think a little more outwardly so long as we are dreaming big?
What do I mean by this? Well, rather than looking in the mirror and deciding how you can improve yourself, what if you looked through the window to see what needs there are in your community. Can you help in any of those arenas? When we commit to service outside of our walls and help others in need, we can discover greater joy and impact than any simple resolution could ever deliver.
Consider our earlier example regarding spending. Perhaps spending less has nothing to do with a happier marriage. Maybe for you, spending less would allow you to work less and invest time with others in ways you haven’t been able to before. This would be a wonderfully big, service-oriented resolution.
Going it alone. If you want a much higher possibility that your resolution will become reality, tell someone about it and give them the permission to help hold you accountable. Or, even better, get yourself a trained, professional coach.
If you need to get your finances in line, get a finance coach. If you need to improve your overall health, hire a trained health coach. If you are going through a life transition, a life coach could see you through.
We seek out a mechanic when our car needs fixing and a CPA when our taxes become complicated. So why not do the same for yourself? You are much more complex than a car or a tax return. A good coach will have tools, experience, and training necessary to help get you from where you are to where you really want to be.
If you want to chat about your life goals, simply email me at [email protected] … it’s never too late to call a “mulligan” (a “do-over”) and claim a new resolution for this year that dreams big, is service oriented, and includes help where needed.
For a limited time, you can get a FREE Kindle version of our award-winning book Who Are The Joneses Anyway? … Simply click here and you will be taken to our Kindle page on Amazon where you can get yours for free, but only until January 8th, 2017. Don’t have a Kindle? That’s okay. You can download the Kindle app for free from your iTunes or Android app store for almost any digital device.
Wishing you an amazing start to this New Year!
