Resolutions Rarely (if ever) Lead to Solutions ...

I don't want to be perceived as a party-pooper, but I must confess that I'm not a big fan of New Year's Resolutions. I'm not saying that self-improvement is a bad idea, or that people shouldn't establish goals to stretch or improve themselves. What I'm thinking is change and self-improvement shouldn't be an annual thing ("New Year ... New You"), it should be an all-the-time thing.

Building a new habit can be challenging; but taking on a bunch of new habits all at once is overwhelming (vis-à-vis the typical list of resolutions generated at New Years). This might (partially) explain why the number of 'kept' New Year's Resolutions is dismally low. Unfortunately, just the act of making a list of resolutions can make people feel temporarily better. (Notice I said "temporarily" ...)

Here's some great advice:

Don't treat a marathon like a sprint!

While Incremental Improvements (I²) and continual habit modification might not be all that sexy, it's a lot more effective than the short-lived "I want EVERY part of my life to improve and I want it right NOW!" mindset intrinsic to, and inseparable from, New Year's Resolutions.

High Value Activity (HVA) Action Steps

The HVA listed below has been crafted to help YOU help your EMPLOYEES overcome the (inevitable) New Year's Resolutions blues and adopt a self-improvement model that's proven, practical, and pays-off. This HVA is delivered in four parts:

• State: "As I'm sure you've recognized, the year 2020 is symbolic to 20:20 vision. And 20:20 vision is about seeing things clearly."
• Ask: "So let me ask you this, 'The year is yours. What will you do with it? What one area would you like to work on in your professional life that would make you particularly proud as you reflect back on what you accomplished one year from now?'"
• Offer: "What can I do to help you achieve this goal?"
• Provide: Once someone has established a target or a goal, discuss breaking down this goal into Incremental Improvement (I²) steps that can be accomplished and measured over the course of the year. This approach can be applied at ANY point in the year, and with ANY goal that someone wants to (or needs to) accomplish. Offer the Step It!™ Drill-Down system as a means to visualize each of the steps required to achieve the goal.