It’s the time of year when our inboxes are flooded with “New Year, New You!” emails. And, this year, there’s the added pressure of a new decade. Joy.
Many of us have been conditioned to take this turn-of-the-calendar to reflect on the year that was, making plans, goals, budgets and resolutions for the next 12 months.
I say, stuff it. Because first-of-the-year resolutions don’t work for most people.
According to U.S. News & World Report, “the failure rate for New Year’s resolutions is said to be about 80%, and most lose their resolve by mid-February.” (Thank you, Wikipedia.)
Swap Resolutions for Daily Habits
Instead of setting goals — even those “S-M-A-R-T” ones — or trying to hammer out another budget you won’t be using in a few months, or making a resolution you don’t actually have a plan to implement (thereby, pretty much guaranteeing it is nothing but an exercise in guilt and self-flagellation), do this:
Focus on the daily habits that make meaningful progress inevitable.
Habits are the new goals, and there are some great books out there that focus on the power of small, daily habits and getting clear and organized in a way that produces better results, including:
- Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, by James Clear
- The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform, by Hal Elrod
- The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results, by Gary W. Keller and Jay Papasan
And if you’ve known me for a while now, you know that Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, by David Allen, is my go-to for organizing everything — and Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine, by Mike Michalowicz, is the system I use so that I never have to budget again! (Read my blog post. Why I’m All About Putting Profit First, to learn more about my commitment to the Profit First mindset.)
What Daily Habits Will You Commit To?
I have my daily habits in mind for the new year and plan to:
- Time-block (i.e., schedule time for specific tasks), so I’m doing my most energy-intensive work when I have the most focus.
- Protect my morning hours to focus on my most important work.
- Do regular check-ins with my accountability and support group.
If you’re just now considering the idea of small, daily habits, answering these questions can get you on your way. And to help you resist the temptation to create a list of, say, 10 daily habits that you surely won’t stick to, start with a more reasonable number (I’m suggesting just two):
- What are two habits you will add to your daily routine that could make your personal life better?
- What are two habits you will add to your daily routine that could make your business life better?
- Is there a time of day when you’re more energized to accomplish these habits, at home and at work?
- Are there things you’ll have to give up to make room for these four new habits?
Ready to Rebel Against Resolutions?
I don’t have this daily habit thing all figured out. But I’m definitely on track to get more out of my life with the small, meaningful habits I’m focused on. And since I know resolutions never work for me, I’m saying “no” to them again this year. Care to join me?