Tired of resolutions? Try Planning instead!

Are you caught in a vicious cycle? Where it feels like every year you make the same resolution - only to see yourself failing by February or March? You may say to yourself on December 31st things like “This coming year things will be different!” or “I am going to exercise more!” or “I am going to leave my job and start my own business.” However, come March we start giving up or the vision we had in December and January has faded away. I think we have all experienced our resolutions going to pieces - I know I have at the sight of that chocolate cake!

So here is the truth about new year resolutions:

New year resolutions are often ineffective. People start off with earnest intentions but subconsciously their resolutions are a wish and a hope. They may take some actions but there is no real commitment to follow through. People are really “resolved” to fulfill their resolutions; however, they usually give up at the first road block. Old patterns, old habits, old conversations, and old ways of being come rushing back. Someone may say to themselves “Well, it’s never going to happen for me anyways, why bother?” This is exactly why you see a mad rush of people in gyms in January and by mid February it’s only the die-hard gym goers that are showing up.

So what’s the solution?

Planning.

A very specific type of planning strategy often referred to as the North Star, where you focus on one area of your business or life at a time and work towards a goal. So for example in business you may want to have 10 clients - so your North Star would be something like “Get More Clients” - most of the SMART Goal setters will say “Well, that’s not very specific.” There is a reason for that, my friends! It takes the pressure off of having to commit to a specific number or timeline. What’s unique about this approach is that you take actions everyday that align with “Get More Clients”. You will continue to work in other areas of your life and business to maintain them as is but the North Star will be your main focus. I have tried this methodology, it took the pressure to perform off of me and instead gave consistent actions that produced consistent results..

Don’t get me wrong - numbers are important. I am a big believer of planning with numbers, however, I think the North Star strategy is an effective replacement for resolutions because it anchors you to one goal and it’s a gentle approachable way to get a result in your life. The key here is consistent daily activities that align with your north star.

Next blog, we’ll talk about the importance of annual planning.