Research continually shows that by this time each January, over 70% of New Year’s Resolutions set have been long forgotten! In fact, less than 5% of Resolutions set over Christmas and New Year ultimately succeed.
Some people find this data quite amusing. They laugh it off. In actuality, setting goals of any kind and not achieving them weighs heavily on our psyche. We lose confidence and wonder what is “wrong” with us. Not only does this effect us in January, but throughout the year – other goals are either smaller than they could be or are not set at all!
Most people set a New Year’s Resolution because they “should” – they think it is “the” time of year to make a change.
That’s bogus! In fact, December 31 / January 1 is the worst time of the year to state a goal (given societal pressures), unless you are very clear on your intention, your plan and your commitment to achieve.
Instead of setting yourself up to fail, set aside some time today to answer these four questions:
- What are 5 things I’m most proud of from 2012?
- Who are the 5 people I most enjoyed being around last year?
- Did I live consistently to my values?
- What stands out as my greatest achievement in 2012 (personally and professionally)?
In a couple of days, come back to your answers and see what stands out as a potential next step for you.
PS – Use this exercise ANY time of year swapping the year for “in the last 12 months”. And next December, don’t allow any of the hype over resolutions to ‘should’ all over you!