New Year Resolutions are useless; Follow these Five Tangible Steps Instead
“And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon the tables, that he may run that readeth it” – Hab 2:2
We are twelve days into the New Year, 2019, already. It all seemed like a few hours ago when we made all those New Year resolutions at the last chime of the midnight clock. Making these New Year resolutions has become a ritual for most of us. We resolve to improve our relationships with God, family and friends. We resolve to live healthily, eat right and exercise. We resolve to get better at work, do more and maybe earn more. However, there are two things wrong with these resolutions.
1) We make them at the peak of the excitement of the moment without thinking them through; and
2) Most of us do not write them down.
The outcome is that the resolutions wane as fast as the excitement of the New Year celebrations fade away when we face the pressures of the real world. I have been there many more times than I can remember. I forget most of the resolutions before the end of January let alone follow them through. The poor eating habit will continue, there will be no time for the gym, the work-life struggle remains the same. Next, frustration begins to set in because we wanted the New Year to be perfect but things are looking topsy-turvy, and it is only the first month.
Three years ago, I decided that things have to change, and for that to happen, I must change.
“If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.” — Jim Rohn
First things first, I decided to change the way I approach the New Year. Instead of making verbal and vague resolutions, I switched to making more concrete and well-documented plans. To make my plans, I found a practical tool that is simple to use and covers all the basics. The Mind Tools Life Plan Workbook was adequate to set me on the course of planning every aspect of my life. I have recommended this tool to my close family and friends, and I encourage you to check it out. Spoiler alert! It is not free, but I think you may find that it is worth it. The workbook helped me take a closer look at myself; it provided the framework for setting my life goals, and it helped to guide me on how I can set up for success. The beauty of is that Life Workbook is exactly what it is — a plan for the rest of your life and not a one-time, flash in the pan exercise. My first attempt at setting up my life plan was at the start of 2016.
Fast forward to 2019, my life plan is a living document and a reference resource that helps me recalibrate to the centre at any time I feel like I am going off track. This practice changed my New Year’s day routine for good. No more resolutions and no more high energy affirmations. Instead, I use the workbook to:
i) Take stock of how the past year went. Which of my goals did I achieve, which ones are work in progress and what lessons did I learn along the way?
ii) Revise my short, medium and long term plans. What are my goals for the year ahead, what do I want to become in the next three and five years? I will check off some goals, stretch some and bring in new ones. No matter what I do, I must end up with scary and audacious goals; goals that will make you want to run after you read them.
On New Year’s Day of 2018, I set my theme for the year — “Progress not Perfection”. You can read my Facebook post in the link below.
Reviewing my life workbook, I can confidently say that 2018 was not perfect, but I certainly made progress. I was able to maintain my target body weight; I wrote more and I achieved my career goal of becoming a CFO. I set these three goals and more way back in 2016. Writing down my life plan was the best decision I made to start 2016. My writing is much better than when I did my first piece. I believe I am a better leader and still growing. That said, let us call 2018 a success year, shall we?
This year, I am late to get off the starting blocks. This is my first writing piece since the start of the year almost 288 hours ago. But I must set the theme for 2019, and here it goes.
Learning not education; the aim is to keep playing not winning.
The way to sustain progress is to keep growing, and we cannot grow if we stop learning. It is like the law of the talents. If you do not use it, you will lose it. I will keep learning to be a better writer, I will keep learning to be a better leader, and I will keep learning towards the best version of myself.
“How you do anything, is how you will do everything.” — T. Herv Eker
Stop making those knee-jerk New Year resolutions and start doing the following five things to design a life that is exciting, engaging and fulfilling:
1) Work on your emotional intelligence.
Embark on the journey of self-evaluation and examination that will lead to heightened self-awareness.
“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” — Aristotle
Take the time to question your thoughts, your motives and your action. What type of person do you want to become?
I believe that knowing yourself — your values, understanding your emotions and shaping your philosophy, is the first step to improving your life.
Please check out my piece on this subject in the link below.
2) Dream big!
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” — Eleanor Roosevelt.
The beginning of anything big started with a dream. Do not put a limit on yourself to dream. Do not worry about how those dreams will become a reality, just a dream.
I still remember the lines in the closing scene of one of my favourite classic movies — Pretty Woman (1990).
“…Some dreams come true, some dreams don’t, but keep on dreaming…”
3) Go to work on your dreams
I know I said you should dream. However, dreams without action will remain dreams, which will lead to anxiety and frustration. Narrow down your dreams to the ones that align with your passion, and go to work.
“All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.” — Walt Disney
4) Write down your goals
Take your dreams from your head and put them down to paper. Make those goals, big, scary and SMART. What is it that you want to achieve? It might be to start a business, start a new career, get a degree. No matter what it is, be specific about your goals. How will you know you have achieved your dream?
“Dreams without goals are just dreams and they ultimately fuel disappointment.” — Denzel Washington
You might achieve some, some might seem delayed and you may not achieve some. Do not let the fear of failure stop you from setting those goals. Even if you do not achieve your goals, you will be a better person for pursuing them.
I have not yet achieved my goal of having my first book, and I have been on it for over two years now. But pursuing that goal has made me a better writer. Pursuing that goal has helped me know myself a bit more.
5) Design your plan of how to reach your goals and take action
Designing your plan is your first step in ensuring that you achieve your goals. Plan for success because it does not happen by chance, it is deliberate.
Once you have your plan, take action, take the first step and remain consistent. Do not wait for all to be perfect. Do not wait for inspiration from above or for all the stars to align. Just start.
You can check out my piece — Your First Step is all It Takes, in the link below.
Remove all distractions, set the right environment, read more, ask questions, get a mentor and review and get feedback. When it comes down to it, do this:
“If you can’t fly, run
If you can’t run, walk
If you can’t walk, crawl
But by all means, keep moving”
- Dr Martin Luther King Jr
As you set out to plan your life and the years ahead using the above five steps, do not sit back to count today, but make today count. Take that first step towards your goal.
Happy 2019. A year of learning, growing and staying in the game.
