Only 9.2 percent of people ever achieve their New Year’s resolutions and break free from their bad habits. So why do so many people continue to overload their worlds with new commitments when the calendar changes each year, only to reinforce what doesn’t work?
Let’s start with timing. I alluded to it in yesterday’s blog. The right time to set your resolution is the time that you’ll be committed and stick with it. Often, this means you won’t set it on Jan.1. Wait until your mind is fully engaged again after the holidays. Do your pre-work and planning and focus on smaller, incremental improvements which cause lasting change over time.
It’s the same with your business. When I’m working with teams relative to their annual planning, I ask them when the best time is to do their strategic thinking. When is their business the slowest and when will they have the space to “think” and work on their business. It’s often not December or January. This prompts some adjusting regarding adjusting from the calendar relative to quarterly financials, but it is hands down more successful for the teams and the businesses in the long run.
Forcing things into an already full calendar won’t work. How will you make space? What will you let go of? What will you say no to? Make a stop doing list and add to it every time you add to your “to do” list. Failure by overcommitment is something many of us have perfected. How do you do less while making space to succeed?