Leadership Tip

How to make your resolutions stick

New Year's is the only holiday dedicated to marking the passage of time, which may explain why, as the final moments of the year slip away, we find ourselves reflecting. This reflection often leads to thoughts of self-improvement and the familiar tradition of making resolutions - our first step in reshaping who we are. To ensure your resolution leads to meaningful change, here are three tips to help you make it stick:

  1. Create a plan. Setting a goal without formulating a plan is merely wishful thinking. In order for your resolution to resolve, it must translate into clear steps that can be put into action. A good plan will tell you a) what to do next and b) what are all of the steps required to complete the goal. If you're like most people, then you'll have a limited window of opportunity during the first few days of January to harness your motivation. After that, most people forget their resolutions completely. It is imperative that you begin creating your plan immediately.
     
  2. Think year round, not just New Year. Nothing big gets accomplished in one day. Resolutions are set in one day, but accomplished with a hundred tiny steps that happen throughout the year. New Year's resolutions should be nothing more than a starting point. You must develop a ritual or habit for revisiting your plan.
     
  3. Remain flexible. Expect that your plan can and will change. Life has a funny way of throwing unexpected things at us, and flexibility is required to complete anything but the simplest goal. Sometimes the goal itself will even change. Most of all, recognise partial successes at every step along the way. Just as a resolution isn't accomplished the day it's stated, neither is it accomplished the day you reach your goal. Rather, it's accomplished in many small increments along the way. Ensure that you acknowledge these incremental successes as they come.

The above leadership tip...
was sent in response to a question from a participant on our acclaimed 10/10 leadership development and mentoring programme. Whether you're a first time manager or an experienced leader, straightforward, practical advice on best practice is hard to find. Until now. To find out how you, your team or your organisation can benefit, please contact us.


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