Everyone wants to be better for the New Year which is why everyone makes the resolutions for getting back to the gym, getting organized, quitting smoking, and the list goes on. But the truth of the matter is that so many people have false starts when it comes to carrying out their resolutions. They have lots of plans and plenty of things they want to do or get accomplished in the New Year, but they run out of steam before they get the ball rolling with any real momentum. Did you make resolutions for this year? Did you take action? Why not? What was it that held you back?
If you’re expecting new results just because it’s a new year, you’re making a big mistake. If your starting point is not correct, you will not get what you want. Once the holidays are over, some people will start to implement their resolutions. Unfortunately, some of those starts will be false, running out of steam before February comes around. Resolutions die because they aren’t strong enough to survive. If they aren’t turned into goals and have a plan to support them, they wither away. To start off on the right foot you need to first understand that there’s a distinct difference between the anatomy of a resolution and that of a goal. Goals are things that you are committed to pursuing, related to time, values-based and SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, tangible). They have plans created to support them coming to fruition.
Turing your resolutions into goals is the first step in aiming before your fire. You can’t hit the mark if you don’t know where you’re going. You have to know how to take your resolutions and turn them into solid goals and how to develop a plan to carry them out. Additionally, ask yourself what things you want to leave behind with the old year, and choose those things that you want to take into the New Year with you. It might take some time to get clear, so take your time and make your lists. Be conscious about what you are letting go of and what you are holding onto or creating to take along for the ride into the New Year.
Finally, ask yourself who it is that you have to be in order to accomplish the goals that you’ve set. Most of the time people look at or tell themselves that when they get something, then they’re be able to do a particular thing in order to be where they want to be. This is a backwards concept. Really, we have to think about who we’re going to be (the characteristics and behaviors we have to exhibit), then think about what we have to do in order to have what we want. So it’s be; do; have instead of have; do be.
As you begin to think about the things that you resolve to do in the coming year, remember to aim before you fire. Add the steps of turning those resolutions into goals, list what you’re leaving behind and what you’re taking with you and then determine who you have to be in order to carry out your plan.