By Jillian Broaddus and Chuck Cusumano
It’s that time of the year – when the hecticness and indulgence of the holidays subside, and you see gym memberships skyrocket, grocery carts filled with fruits and vegetables, and other New Year resolutions taking root.
However, did you know that 25% of people abandon their New Year’s goals after just one week, and – on average – a person makes the same resolution a total of 10 times without success?
In order to help you avoid ending up like the majority, here are a few tried and true methods for accomplishing the goals you set for yourself!
Put Goals in Writing: Studies show that the simple act of writing down our goals instantly makes us 33% more likely to achieve them.
Keep it Front of Mind: Write it somewhere visible to you every day. Set a reminder on your phone. Utilize an app that’ll help you with action items along the way. While putting your goal in writing is the first priority, it doesn’t do much good if you throw that piece of writing into the trash can! Read it, remember it, and focus on it each and every day as you make progress towards accomplishment!
Find a Friend: Not only will telling others about your goals add a layer of accountability, but you might just find someone whose goals align with your own! In fact, in one weight loss study, dieters who signed up for a weight loss program with a friend were 2.5x more likely to keep the weight off six months after the program ended, as opposed to individuals who signed up alone.
Be Specific: Being specific in your goal-setting is just one part of setting SMART – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound – goals. While all five elements are important, being specific is the key first step. By honing in on your exact goal, you can set a process to measure it and track it over time. Focusing on too much will get us off track; focusing in a vague direction will allow us an easy excuse to quit; but focusing on one tangible goal will set us up for success.
Be Aggressive: Would you believe that “stretch” goals are oftentimes more achievable than “status quo” or “easy” goals? As reported in HBR, this can be due to bigger rewards for harder goals (even if that reward is just the satisfaction of achievement), and the need for an obvious gap between current state and ideal state; when that gap is small, our motivation lessens. So, reach for the stars!
What is your resolution for 2020? How can we help you achieve it? Let us know!