With the dumpster fire that was 2021 I was wondering are New Year’s Resolutions still a thing? The idea of a New Year’s resolution an old idea about 4,000 years old. It is really an interesting story from its origins in ancient Babylonians to the realignment by Julius Caesar in ancient Rome who established January 1 as the beginning of the new year in 46 B.C. You can find more info from this history Channel article at history.com.
While the practice has evolved over time the main idea is to resolve to be better than you were in the previous year with the focus more on self-improvement. Isn’t it just human nature to always strive to be better than you were though? Do you really need the changing of a calendar to begin the journey? Many do. Why is it that many people choose to make a resolution, but few follow through? Are the goals too high, are they unattainable?
Here are some unrealistic goals:
- I will get in shape.
- I will double my business.
- I will make more money.
- I will be happy.
With any goal it is important to apply some logic to them and not just make an extremely broad statement. They will look good on a dream board, but these statements are not very good goals. I have found that if you set S.M.A.R.T. goals it will increase your chances for success. What is a SMART goal?
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Time-based
This is a great strategy to adopt when developing goals but like Benjamin Franklin said: “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!” When you make your resolution be sure to develop a SMART plan to help you follow through. You will need to determine what needs to be completed to achieve your goal.
I like to break down the goal into manageable tasks using an idea chart or brainstorm chart. I take 10-15 minutes of uninterrupted time and write my main goal in the center of a piece of paper and draw a circle around it. I then think about what I will need to do to accomplish this goal write it down and do the same as my main goal breaking each task down. You will be surprised at all the things you will think of once you begin the process that may not have occurred to you before. See the example below.
I hope this helps and good luck to everyone who is making a New Year’s resolution. I would love to hear what your resolutions are and what your plan is to accomplish your goals in the comments below.
