OK, well it’s time–time to make resolutions. Of course, some of us think resolutions are silly in that they set us up for failure. Others make them and don’t keep them after say, a day or two. But, there is a third group that integrates the resolution into their lives and finds real success. Why does the third group make resolutions work? Do they have more willpower? Maybe. Do they have more resource at hand? Maybe, but probably not. Are they smarter? Doubt it. What makes the difference?

Here’s one

Whether people in the third group do it consciously or not, they “anchor” their resolutions to specific actions. They “goal out” their resolution into smaller, attainable steps that can be measured and celebrated.There are a few of us that can naturally just do the anchoring without much thought, but for most of us, we need to spend intentional time on the specifics. It’s at this point, a lot of resolutions fail.

 

Resolutions are usually born out of some desire to change. Perfect. We all have those areas we want to change. Maybe we need to lose 10 pounds, be more kind, or pay more attention to our family and friends. Whatever it might be, resolutions are a representation of a more ideal state. It’s like imagining an upgraded picture of yourself. The upgraded picture comes with desire, but not directions. Those, directions, we must craft. That’s where goals come in.

More on that tomorrow…