Written by John Safin
Days before and after the ball dropping at
midnight on January 1st, many people will take a moment to
announce their New Year's resolution. To lose weight, spend more time
with the kids, to get a new job, to stop smoking...the list goes on.
This is a predominant practice throughout the world, but more than 50%
of resolutions are broken by the end of February.
Is it the fault of the person? Possibly.
Is it there a problem with the process of
keeping a resolution? Very much so.
Think of the Declaration of Independence.
This document was created by the Colonies, which later became the United
States of America, listed grievances against the King of England and as
a publicly announced severance from his rule. This was the resolution
signed by members of the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.
So, what happened next? The founding fathers created a plan to achieve
"the inalienable right of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
A resolution, typically, is a long-term,
lifestyle change that is based on a 'Pass/Fail' rating. You either lose
weight or you don't. You stopped smoking or you didn't. Watch the movie
"Cold Turkey" starring Dick Van Dyke. You'll see how difficult (and
hilarious) it can be to try to immediately alter a lifestyle habit.
Although, 'stop smoking' might not be the best example as there was a
2007 survey showing 70% of people stopped by going cold turkey.
A goal, on the other hand, has check-points
from the beginning with a specific end to signify success. It's the
opportunity to have a sense of accomplishment along the way as a means
of motivation for reaching the end. Think about the game of football. A
goal is found at each end of the field. There are 100 hash marks between
the goals to measure progress. Every 10 yards of forward motion is
rewarded with another four chances to get to the goal. There's a clear
ending, a measurement of progress, recognition for getting closer to the
objective and the thrill of victory when the target is reached.
Here's an example: A person who wants to
lose 30 pounds. Look at the nearest clock. Ready...set...go! Wait an
hour. Did that person lose the weight? Unless surgery or a life
threatening action was involved, the person is still the same. The
weight loss example is a resolution. Now, set the goal: "I will lose 2
pounds a week over the next 15 weeks for a total of 30 pounds."
Hopefully, this person will be smart enough to speak with a physician or
dietician first. Look at the sample goal. "I will lose 2 pounds a
week..." is the check point. "...over the next 15 weeks..." is the time
frame. "...for a total of 30 pounds." - The point of success. On
average, any lasting change needs to be adopted into a way of life for
it to become a permanent GOOD habit.
Some goals are, simply, the building of new
habits, such as to losing weight or to spend more time with your
children. It takes eight continuous weeks (that's 56 days) of activity
for the average person to adapt the new practice into their life. That
is when it becomes a habit. BAD habits take less time to get used to
than GOOD habits because it's easier to destroy than to create. (If you
don't believe that, build a sand castle and then kick it over. Which was
easier to do?) Once you have achieved success, you can start the process
again. "I lost the 30 pounds. Let's lose the next 20 in ten weeks."
Finally, as many people have said, the way
to increase the success rate of achieving a goal is to write it down.
Set your goal and map the plan to achieve it. Another method for
creating a tracking system is to reverse engineer your plan. Start with
the objective and determine the path to get to your current point in
time. Many people have found this to be a very helpful technique and
produce a greater success rate. Chose whatever approach works best for
you. Most importantly is to review your at least once a day. Know where
you want to be, check your progress, and determine if you're on the
right track. If not, make adjustments to ensure your victory.
Remember, it doesn't have to be the start of
a New Year to set your goals.
Wishing you the best of luck with your goals
as well as a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year!
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