New Year’s resolutions work. The beginning of a new year is a perfect time to start something new, even though its common for what is resolved to oftentimes end in failure. Take the surge in gym attendance at the beginning of every year for example. By the time the second week of February rolls around, few of the new “gym going resoluters” will remain among the hardcore regulars. This doesn’t have to be. There are three simple steps anyone can do to make their New Year’s resolutions stick like glue. I offer these three steps here, but don’t expect them to be easy.
Step 1: Start with Why and Finish SMART
I’m pretty sure the “start with why” has been a marketing catch phrase somewhere. It is a very important first step. Before making a resolution, ask yourself why it is important to you to do it. The more personal and important it is the better. Remembering why you are doing something will see you through many dark nights and tough days. Take the time to start with why, and then make your resolutions SMART. SMART is an acronym borrowed from a workshop I facilitate representing Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. Let’s use a resolution to run a marathon to illustrate.
| WHAT | HOW | EXAMPLE |
| Specific | Start with the smallest possible step in the right direction | Look to move ahead by inches. Nothing creates success faster than building on one small victory after another. I will start by walking around the block. Then walking and jogging around the block. Then two blocks. Then a half mile. Program success by small degrees all the way to a marathon. |
| Measurable | Measurements are necessary to identify progress | For me to run a marathon, I must be able to run a half marathon. For me run a half marathon, I must be able to run a 10K. For me to run a 10k….you get the idea. Keep working backwards until you arrive at where you are today. |
| Achievable | Dream big, learn from others | I can see myself breaking the tape and winning a marathon. Who has done it before me? |
| Realistic | Dream big, start small | How have others done it? What obstacles did they overcome? What obstacles will I likely have to overcome? What is the next thing I must do? |
| Timely | Use “by when” time deadlines | One week to one month provides a good short term target for focused effort. This week I will run three days, and next week I will run four. Don’t get overly discouraged if you are unable to make a time deadline. Don’t be slack. Set a time goal and try your best to meet it. Life happens and when you can’t, make adjustments, set a new time goal, and keep moving forward. |
Step 2: Make it Non-Nogotiable
Nike had one of the most successful marketing campaigns of all time using the slogan “just do it.” At least it was until Neil Armstrong had to go and spoil the ride. It was a great slogan because we all have an inner tempter that only wants to do what is easy, fun, and satisfying in the moment. The inner tempter is great at offering excuses and rationalizations for avoiding everything that is not easy, fun, or satisfying in the moment. It has had a lifetime to learn you well enough to craft just the right excuses and rationalizations that are most appealing to you. This is no exaggeration. Learn to recognize your inner tempter’s voice, and making your resolutions non-negotiable is the way to overcome it.
Here’s a personal example of mine from years ago. The alarm clock goes off and immediately the inner temper prompts thoughts like its too early, I’m tired, I can catch up tomorrow, and I deserve a break today. If you enter into debating with the inner tempter, you will lose more often than you will win. The surest way to beat the inner tempter is to avoid getting into a “should I” or “shouldn’t I” deliberation. Overcoming the inner tempter by deliberation is not sustainable because in the end it will require huge amounts of our limited stores of will power to stick to our resoultion. Will power is a big gun better reserved for other battles. Refusing to negotiate with the inner tempter however, requires very little will power. Just do what you have already made the decision to do rather than teeter-tottering over the decision. Ignore the inner tempter and immediately go to work on doing what the inner tempter is trying to get you to avoid. Once action is taken, the inner temper will be silenced and the struggle will be gone. Here are three additional tips I have used to set my daily work habits on automatic:
Tip #1: Do it first thing in the morning soon after getting out of bed. Get up 30 minutes earlier and get it done. If you wait until later, there is a really good chance of all the other cares of the day getting in the way. If it is important for you to do, get it done first thing in the morning. That way whatever else happens during the day, you’ve already got done what you’ve resolved to do.
Tip #2: Never hit the snooze button. This is one of the most useless inventions of the 20th century. Another 10 minutes of laying in bed half asleep doesn’t do anybody any good at all. The alarm goes off, get out of bed and get busy. Settle this before you go to bed at night and make it non-negotiable in the morning.
Tip #3: Avoid rolling out of bed and starting with the news or scrolling through social media. You want to focus on doing what you need to get done. Keep the world and all the social media distractions out. They will still be there when you are finished taking care of the first thing first.
Step 3: Embrace the Suck
This one comes compliments of my years of military service. Embracing the suck means when the pain that brings the gains cannot be avoided, don’t shrink back from it. Accept it, endure it, and get it done. Life will always be full of twists and turns, obstacles and setbacks. It is naive not to expect these things. The ones who consistently overcome are the ones who are willing to take the pain, endure the suffering, and overcome the hardship (in other words to embrace the suck) until they get it done. Hopefully, this won’t require you to dodge any bullets or bombs. Just know that fatigue, not feeling like it, and general laze must be suffered by all of us sooner or later in order to get done what we have decide to do. When that happens, we can either choose to embrace the suck and enjoy the win, or look to avoid what sucks and be forced to suffer the loss.
There you have it. Three steps that will make your resolutions stick like glue. Step 1: Start with Why and Finish SMART; Step 2: Make it Non-Negotiable; and Step 3: Embrace the Suck.
Happy New Year everyone. Now go, get those resolutions done.
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