New years resolutions don't work

Everybody knows the drill. After Christmas, everyone thinks about their New Year’s resolutions. And by the middle of January or February, most of the effort to achieve them is gone. But why is it like that?

Most resolutions are usually high targets; only the end goal is set. There is no way to achieve it, and no milestones are defined. Also, no method to determine the success of your progress towards the goal is defined. In summary, the target is scribbled on a piece of paper without a plan to achieve it.

Studies have shown that describing and planning every step along the way increases the likelihood of achieving your goals. Also, set milestones and reward yourself when you achieve them.

I gained a lot of weight during the Corona times. So I started my sports program at the same time I started my company. I set up an automatic schedule in my calendar for what day I have to do which training and on which days I have to rest. In the past three months, I increased my fitness from a 5 to 7-minute run to a 45-minute run without having to stop. This system is something I’m keeping because it works for me and my daily schedule.

If you pick a plan or milestones that do not fit your daily schedule, you’ll have a hard time pushing through tough phases. Perseverance is key! Motivation fades, but structures will continue. My calendar tells me to go to the gym until it becomes an automatic habit. But I’m not there yet.

So my resolutions don’t work. But the systems I put in place take me to my goal!

The same approach, building systems, is key for your organisation to succeed in a changing market. The process optimisation workshop is exactly designed to find inefficiencies and build robust systems to prevent them. Schedule a free consultation call to find out more about the workshop.