Can we just skip this whole New Year’s resolution charade this year?
I sit back and watch it every year.
And, it’s the dumbest thing we do.
“Hey here’s this list of things I know I’m never gonna do, but it’s this number on a made-up calendar, so hey…. why not pretend I’m actually gonna have the motivation and commitment to stick with it?”
I don’t know, maybe I’m just a grinch.
But, it’s so silly.
That said, let me extend an olive branch.
I DO think it’s possible to keep New Year’s resolutions.
To use the natural motivation you get this time of year and parlay that into actually meeting goals and changing your life. You CAN do that… but NOT if you do it the way you always have and never followed through.
You’re not going to suddenly have extra will power this year.
You have to change how you do it.
In my experience, there are 3 big mistakes people make when setting their New Year’s resolutions that makes it more of a “wish list” (they can brag about on Fakebook) than something they actually plan on doing.
- Setting result-oriented goals
- Expecting perfection
- Sharing their resolutions
So, what ends up happening is you set a goal like “I’m gonna lose 20 pounds”, you make an elaborate plan to reach your goal and you go on Fakebook and tell everyone what you’ve “decided”.
The problem is you think you’ve actually done something.
All your friends say “Yay! and “So proud!”
And, it’s like simply “deciding” is actually DOING.
It’s not.
Then, as the REALITY of eating right and working out sets in…
You realize, “This is gonna be hard.”
And, most people give up.
And, it happens year after year after year.
If there’s one thing you can do this year to give you a fighting chance of actually keeping your New Year’s resolutions… dont’ share them. With anyone. Don’t give yourself that social cred until you actually earn it.
If you can’t do that…
I mean hey, it’s your life….
You can do what you want.
But, if you share your resolutions, you won’t keep ’em.
That I know.
In any case, there’s a reason I no longer set New Year’s resolutions. It’s because I spend the rest of the year planning and goal-setting and chasing what I want. This time of year is no different.
So, there’s no point.
And, a few years back, I developed a system for managing my short and long-term goals that’s been incredibly effective for me. It lets me run a business, homeschool my kids and build my “forever” house.
Without getting overwhelmed.
Or stressed out.
Or, constantly dealing with procrastination.
I have no idea if it’ll work for you, but if you want to learn it, I reveal it in my NO B.S. Guide to Get More Done class over on SkillShare. Best part is you can take the course without paying a single penny.
All the details on that are here: https://johnmorrisonline.com/nobs
Later,
John
