If you are like hundreds of millions of people around the world, you made a resolution this year.
Join the Club
Look what it did for Bridget Jones! At first, she mocked New Year’s resolutions, sarcastically telling Mark Darcy she wanted to cut down on drinking and quit smoking, all while holding a mimosa and cigarette in either hand. It was the sting of Mark’s rejection after the fact that made her realize that maybe, just maybe, she wasn’t living up to her potential.
Not that we need to change for other people — no thanks! It is more that we need to be comfortable in our own skin, proud of who we are as individuals. We all have room to grow, and Bridget took the lead in turning her life around with some “interesting” resolutions.
Good News, Bad News
Bridget is not my role model exactly. I rarely drink and never smoke. I am, however, someone who needs a good kick in the pants. Taking her lead, I will make a resolution this year.
Data shows that people who make a resolution are 10x more likely to reach their goals than those who don’t make a resolution. And why not? They see the potential for change and they take action.
That said, it is easy to make fun of New Year’s resolutions. After two weeks, only 71% of people are still on track with their goal, and that number drops to 56% after six months. The bad news? Only 8% of people actually reach long-term success. To make sure I joined the 8%, I came up with this plan.
Make a Resolution, Start a Revolution
You need to think of your goals not as resolutions but as revolutions. A resolution is an idea. Ideas are great but simply wanting something is not going to make it happen. A revolution, on the other hand, is an action plan. It sets the path for your success.
Tackling a huge project can be intimidating. This is where breaking your goals down into bite-sized pieces can come in handy. By offering up more opportunities for success, you get positive reinforcement that inches you towards the grand prize. Momentum inspires you to keep going.
More than that, you need to think about how to plan those bite-sized pieces. You can take your revolutions FAR if you are Flexible, Accountable, and Real.
Planning My Revolution
Being flexible is not easy for everyone, because hey, sometimes life gets in the way. You may need to cope with an illness, a loss, or some unforeseen tragedy. If you set goals that can only happen if everything goes exactly right, you are asking for trouble. You need to build in a bit, but only a bit, of laxity.
Flexible: That’s one reason I refuse to set daily goals. One bad day and it’s hard to get back on track. Instead, I build in flexibility that keeps me on my toes but pushes me forward. Setting goals on a weekly or monthly basis works best for me. I see these goals as more realistic and attainable over the long haul.
Accountable: Accountability adds an extra layer. By telling you today that I am making a resolution/making a revolution, I am putting myself on the line. You can hold my feet to the fire.
Real: Finally, it’s time to get real. What you want can blind you to what the real world has to offer. Sure, I could set a resolution to write a New York Times best-selling novel this year, but all I can really do is write the book. The market and hopefully my future fans will decide how popular the book becomes. You should only set resolutions that you can actually control. The rest is a bonus.
See you on the other side, Bridget!