New Year’s Resolutions
Approximately 14 new years worth the resolutions and 42 unfulfilled promises, here I sit as 2010 approaches, putting together another list I can almost guarantee will be forgotten as quickly as all the others. Like you, I’d love to be in tip-top shape, double, triple, heck, even quadruple my income, read more often, yadda, yadda, yadda…
Recent research shows that while 52% of participants in a resolution study were confident of success with their goals, only 12% actually achieved their goals.
Via Wikipedia.
North America’s population is at about 525 million right now. Pulling a few numbers out of my ass, if 1/5th of North America makes one resolution in a couple month’s time, that will add up to 105 million sure to be forgotten promises. With a supposed 12% success rate, 12.6 million of those 105 million goals will be accomplished.
While having a bit of sympathy for the commitment capabilities of the human race, those are horrendous numbers. I, and likely you, are a part of that 88% failure bracket, and am almost ashamed to admit it. If we were to perform so poorly in the workplace, we’d be fired, no question, so why do we set our standards so low for personal goals/achievements/resolutions?
I’ve tried the reward and punishment methods to motivate myself, but they didn’t work. I’ve designed calendars, and lists, and guides, to hold my hand along the way — wish I could remember where I put all those.
My new approach is treating my personal goals as business plans. Stating what I want to accomplish, why I want to, how I’m going to, how long it’s going to take, who and what I’m going to need to help me, and where and when it’s going to happen, seems like it’ll help me find a much more direct path to my goal(s).
I’d love to share such a document with you, but I haven’t made it yet. When I do, and if I feel it’s worth it, I’ll open it up to you for your own attempt at breaking your New Year’s batting average (.000).
Until then, it doesn’t hurt to get an early start. Heck, it might even swing the odds in your favour a little more. I’d like to think that we can only improve on a 12% success rate, but don’t want to overestimate the human race.
