This Year I Resolve to….

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We have all made this statement, filling in the blank with various resolutions: exercise more, lose 10 pounds, stop smoking, call Mom more often.  At this point in January, 80% of us have abandoned these lofty goals.  For some, that is a relief.  For others, abandoning a resolution can be disappointing. My goal of seeing Venice in 2020, well you know what happened to that one. In fact, I can’t really give you very many New Year’s Resolutions that I have achieved over the years.

This year, I resolve to do things differently, to choose goals that I can and will accomplish.   Whether your resolutions are personal or professional, there are similar steps you can take that will result in success.

Do you care?

The number one motivator to achieving any goal is that you have to care about it.  Increasing sales by 10% will certainly make your boss look good. However, if there is no reward for you, there is going to be little motivation for you to contribute to the goal.  Let me give you another example.  If your goal is for your middle school-age children to put their laundry away themselves, you will need to convince them that it benefits them, not you.  Use this same approach with your employees.

Another motivator is to think about the ways that your actions will impact the people that you care about, whether it is friends, family, or team members.  Achieving better time management reduces your stress.  It will also have a ripple effect, allowing your team to receive timely responses and take actions, to you being able to make it to your child’s soccer game on time.

Be Positive and Realistic

Frame your goals and resolutions to see the positive outcomes.  Here are two examples that demonstrate different attitudes:

“I want to finish my degree to increase my opportunities and to set an example for my family.”

“I’m this close to my degree.  I may as well finish it since I have already spent so much money.”

The first statement is made by someone who understands the need for ownership and personal motivation.  The second one exhibits the same attitude as the middle-schooler and the laundry basket mentioned above.  Rewards and recognition are very motivating whether you are 3, 30, or 3 times 30.  Very few of us are motivated by threats or punishment, so focus on the positive.

It is also important to keep it real when you are thinking about your goals.  Starting a running program with the goal of running a 5K in a few months is very doable.  Expecting to complete a marathon after only a few months of training is likely setting yourself up for failure.  The same is true of your business goals. Setting achievable benchmarks will give you and your team a sense of accomplishment.

Perhaps the most rewarding thing of all is to have to set new goals mid-year because you already achieved all that you set out to do in 2021.  Imagine how good that will feel!

If you need help setting your goals and understanding the impact of having goals, let’s set up a strategy session.  I want you to make the statement, “This year I resolve to be successful in everything I do.”  Then maybe we can both go to Venice in 2022!

Contact me at SandyMerritt@actioncoach.com for a free strategy session.

 

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This Year I Resolve to….