4 Steps to Make your New Year's Resolution STICK this Year

Another year is coming to an end, and now it's time to make that dreaded New Year's Resolution.  That means it's time to lose weight, be a better person, do something different that you haven't done before. You know.  Make a promise that chances are you probably won't keep.

STOP THE INSANITY

The reason that New Year's Resolutions rarely work is because they lack structure, and they are rarely SMART.

• Strategic, 
• Measureable, 
• Attainable, 
• Results-Oriented and 
• Timebound

Furthermore, they don't consider your hierarchy of real priorities.

1. Spiritual or Emotional Health
2. Physical Health
3. Family Unit Health
4. Professional Health

At the end of the day, you must be healthy mentality and emotionally before you can tackle your health, your family unit, or even your professional growth.

When you fail to plan, you make a plan to fail, so this year, let's make a plan, but let's make it comprehensive.  After all, if you want to succeed in your growth, you've got to make a plan to make it happen.

4 Steps to Make your New Year's Resolution STICK this Year

1.  Spiritual or Emotional Health

• What kind of growth would you like to see in yourself emotionally?
• What specifically will you do to strengthen your faith or spiritual health? (Bible study, books, podcasts, church, seeking counsel from a friend, mentor or advisor)
• How many times per week will you do that and for how long each time?
• How will you know if you have reached your goal?
• Who will be your accountability partner to ensure that you do it?
• Make a calendar appointment or set alarms NOW to remind yourself to do it.

2. Physical Health

• What do you want to change about your health?
• What type of exercise do you want to engage in to accomplish it?
• How many times per week will you work out and for how long each time?
• Who will be your accountability partner to ensure that you do it?
• Make a calendar appointment or set alarms NOW to remind yourself to do it.

3. Family Unit Health

• What is the goal that you want to have for your family unit?
• How will you accomplish that goal?  Date nights, family picnics or excursions, family dinner, etc).
• Where will you schedule this into your calendar?
• How will members of your family ensure that you do it?
• Make a calendar appointment or set alarms NOW to remind yourself to do it.

4. Professional Health

• List the 5 - 10 things that you want to get better at in your work?
• Out of the list, name ONLY the top 2 things that will benefit your professional growth most.
• Make a plan to dedicate your time to improve in those 2 target areas?
• Who will be your accountability partner to ensure that you do it?
• How will you know when you've reached your goal.
• Make a calendar appointment or set alarms NOW to remind yourself to do it.

Resolutions Start with Structure and Sustain with Decluttering

If you want your resolution to succeed, you have to start, and then you must remember to give yourself permission to say NO to anything that doesn't fit into your top 4 priorities.  In this world of perpetual busyness, we lose sight of our real business which is self-improvement and making a small dent in the universe.  SMART and structured resolutions work when we ensure their success by accompanying them with accountability.  

Don't make this New Year's Resolution become another one that you add to the list of failures from years before.  Make 2017 a year that you and those around you will never forget.