Don’t Make Resolutions, Make Plans!

It’s that time of year, when the first thing that most people will say – after “Happy New Year” – is “What are your New Year’s Resolutions?” These vows are so predictable: I’m going to lose weight, exercise more, get more organized, stop (insert problematic behavior here). And for most of us, they are so transitory, and failure, followed closely by abandonment, follows close behind. There are dozens of reasons why New Year’s resolutions don’t work for most people. Maybe you make too many at one time, or pick resolutions based on what other people want for you versus what you want for yourself. Perhaps your resolutions are too rigid and limiting, or so vague it would be hard to tell if they were ever realized. Or you choose the “I’ll quit tomorrow” approach and tomorrow never comes. Whatever the cause of failure, the bottom line is that New Year’s resolutions, for so many of us, are just a futile effort that does not bear fruit, and likely as not leaves us feeling worse for the failure.

This year, my advice is to not make resolutions, but to make plans instead. So many of the people I encounter every day have extremely full lives, and behavior changes – particularly those of the types that might fulfill traditional resolutions, is hard. So why not go to the source, and work at modifying your busy schedule rather than trying to achieve a specific or even broad goal that resolutions are often couched in?

Are you interested in being more fit, or losing weight, or toning up your body? Go to your weekly schedule right not and put in the days and times you will hit the gym, or go to yoga, or attend those spinning classes. Fill in the whole year with blocks of time that you are willing to commit to these activities. Then follow through and see how your goals can be achieved.

Have you sworn (again) to spend more time with your family? Pick an evening every week for a family fun night. Put it on your calendar, not just for this week but for every week. At the end of each night add an extra 15 minutes to talk to the family about what they want to do two weeks from now. Whether you go to the movies or bowling, take a boat ride or stay home and put together a jigsaw puzzle, planning the specific activity in advance and putting it on the calendar (in this case not just your own, but also the one on the refrigerator) makes it much more likely to happen. And while you’re at it, get the school schedule out and block out time for a family vacation. Do it now and you won’t find yourself in August wondering where the summer went and why you didn’t do anything.

Are you sincere that this is the year that you will get your work life more organized? Plug 10 minutes in at the beginning, and then at the end of every work day to do the things you know you need to do to make that happen. Start your day with a list of the things you must do, and the things you hope to do, and finish the day by reviewing your progress and revising your lists. And, while you are at it, block out 30 minutes each day to clean up that email queue as well! You know if you don’t make time for these important tasks, how easily they will be swallowed up by the minutiae you are confronted with nearly every work day!

What’s that bad habit you are trying to shake? Eating sugar, drinking, smoking (you aren’t still smoking are you?). Instead of making a resolution to quit, put a reminder in your calendar each day to make a quick note about how you did that day, and how you are doing for the year. Over time, you are very likely to see a significant change for the better. So many of our habits are so unconscious, that merely bringing them into the open is a great way to defeat them.

You’re an organized person who knows how to use apps and technology to structure your day and keep you on track. Use these same smart skills to bring about the positive changes that your New Year’s resolutions have failed to help you achieve year after year. Stop making resolutions and start making plans!

UPDATE 01/09/15 - Another perspective on this issue - http://boingboing.net/2015/01/09/to-do-lists-are-evil-schedule.html