During this time of year, it has become increasingly popular to come up with extravagant "resolutions" to accomplish during the upcoming New Year. Resolutions have probably been around as long as humans have used the current calendar system. Who can resist the urge? It makes perfect sense, with a brand new year coming up many people look at it as a fresh start or a brand new opportunity to attain a goal they have in their mind. So what do I think about New Years Resolutions?
I think waiting until New Years to declare a goal that has any personal value to you is retarded. If its worth doing at all, why not just set out on your goal now? Let's look at some common resolutions.
1. Lose weight
2. Read more books
3. Sell more products
4. Make more money
5. Exercise more
6. Eat better
Can we all agree that these are the most common ones we hear? I would be willing to bet you a month's pay that Harry McGuillicutty who tells you he plans to lose 20 pounds this year will have a different resolution for 2010; to lose 30 pounds. Same goes for the other ones. Why not put them on a dart board and throw a few darts and go with whichever one they land on?
Don't misunderstand me, however. I am HUGE into goal setting and achieving. I just think to wait until New Years is a mentally weak thing to do. It is just following the masses, who are usually wrong anyway. It is taking the easy way out.
If you must set a resolution, below is a way to do it MUCH more effectively.
Actions
1. Open up Microsft Powerpoint immediately.
2. Save this new slide deck as "JohnSmith2009Goals.ppt"
3. Create three slides. At the top of one slide, write "2009 Career Goals". Slides 2 and 3 become "2009 personal goals". I think you will need two slides for personal goals, because in my mind "personal" canvases a whole variety of things.
4. On slide one, set 3 career goals. If you write "make more money", go ahead and throw yourself out a window. If that is your goal, write "make 125,000 in 2009" and then go ahead and write underneath that exactly how you plan to do so. BE SPECIFIC or don't bother.
5. For your personal slides, write whatever goals you want to accomplish outside of work. BE SPECIFIC. A few of my personal goals are "Drive a brand new, black, Dodge Ram pickup truck by March 1st". Another is to Visit Mexico before next summer to surf for 7 days, sleep in a tent, and go fishing with locals. They need to be specific and measurable and bonus points if you attach a date because it will give you a sense of urgency.
6. Let's tackle a health and fitness goal. "Lose Weight" may as well be "F*ck Off". Lose Weight doesn't mean anything, you could just cut your hair, wear lighter clothing and have a bowel movement. Guess what, you have just lost weight. A better goal is to "Be at 10 percent body fat, with visible abs, by April 1st, 2009". From here you can now make a plan to go about getting to 10 percent bodyfat.
7. Print this slide deck out and hang it on the fridge, keep one in your gym bag, email it to a close friend, put one in the office, and anywhere else you are bound to be slapped in the face by it everyday. Email it to me if you want and I will check with you periodically to see if you are on track.
Summary
1. Don't wait. Start Now.
2. Be as specific as you possibly can.
3. Put it in public places to help you be accountable. Give a copy to a friend to help you and ask for theirs.
4. If "10 percent body fat with visible abs is in your future, let me put your plan together for you, and train you a couple of times per week. I can guarantee I will help you reach your goals.
5. Aim high, miss high. If you say earn 150k this year, and only earn 138k but last year made 70k, chalk that up in the win column.
Happy New Year.
TS
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