Rup Jolly

Your New Year’s Resolutions Will Fail. Some ideas on how to keep them…

80%+ of New Year’s resolutions fail. Fail!

It seems like the movie Ground Hog day every year - minus the happy ending. What to do? I don’t like failing and I’m sure you feel the same way.

I decided to write about two things:

1. How to write some kick ass new year resolutions (Great questions for you to ask)
2. Some tips on how to do better this year (To increase your success ratios)

Reflecting on 2011

If you’re going to learn how to be a better person, a great place is to look at your past. The good and the bad.  Here are some questions to ponder (I cobbled this together from many sources online):

1. What went well in 2011? (Make a list of 10 items that made you happy, proud, your successes or something you would celebrate)
2. What did not go well in 2011? (Be real here, you’ll learn a tonne by asking this one question - where did you fall short, what failed or didn’t work for you?)
3. What are the 3 best lessons I learnt over the last 12 months?
4. What was I doing (behaviour) when I achieved my best results in 2011? (Think back to one of your successes in 2011 - Were you in the “Zone”? Define that…)
5. What baggage from 2011 can I drop? (Everyone has baggage!)

2012 - Bigger, Badder, Sexier You ;)

If you do these questions, I know you’ll have a good idea of what you want to accomplish this year. 

1. What would make me Happier? (It could be more of something or less of something - you decide which one motivates you more. What would I celebrate?)
2. What are my Big 5 Goals for 2012?  (Feel free to pick from multiple areas like health, family, wealth, spirituality, learning, etc.)
3. What things can I stop doing NOW?
4. Are there any small nagging issues weighing down my happiness? (This may drive other actions you need to take)
5. What are three words or values you can use to define your 2012?

Tips to help you succeed:

1. Make sure ALL your goals are S.M.A.R.T - Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time Bound.  Ex. I want to be healthier in 2012 = FAIL. Ex. I will exercise 60 minutes per week to train for and run a marathon by June 30, 2012 = SMART!
2. What concrete actions would bring about your big 5 goals for 2012? 
3. Stick to one big goal per month - something will slip if you take on too much. Break your goals down by month if you can.
4. Start small and work your way up. Iterate upwards, not downwards ;)
5. Find a way to hold yourself accountable - post your goals publicly, tell your friends about your specific resolutions or find a partner in crime who has the same goals.
6. Most importantly: Look at your big 5 goals + your concrete plan every day. Post them in multiple visible locations around your house.

Next steps for me -I’m going to post some of my goals publicly. I wrote this post for myself as well…lol ;)

Cheers and let me know if you liked this post? :)

~ Rup Jolly