The New Year is upon us. The holiday season comes with many emotions and traditions for every household and person. For most there’s the air of happiness, hope and anticipation for what’s to come on one hand. On the other, we have a chance to look back on the year and reflect on everything we’ve accomplished and the lessons learnt.
I like many others am always overcome by the feeling of thanksgiving. Unlike many others, we’ve been privileged to see almost all the days of 2019. I couldn’t be more thankful for everything and everyone I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with this year. It truly has made all the difference in my journey.
Over the course of my life I have had to learn to ignore the less productive side of New Year traditions: setting resolutions. I learnt the hard way that they are a waste of time. Lets be honest, they are often abandoned by February. Research shows that only 8 percent who have made New Year resolutions were able to meet their goal, according to a study by the University of Scranton that was complied by Statistic Brain.
Why resolutions didn’t stick
- Too many distractions. Every time I was distracted, I returned to my resolutions with less focus and a lower attention span. And with the latest technological advancements studies show that the latter has been reduced to a mere 8 seconds.
- It’s tough to make the tough decisions. A lot of times I was in denial about what it took to be successful; sacrifice. Change is a necessary part of achieving and we have to be willing to sacrifice current discomfort for success in the long run.
- Unrealistic timelines. Whenever I set goals I didn’t consider if they were achievable in a year. As a result I would get frustrated and discouraged after a while when I found that I wasn’t moving closer to my goal.
How to turn 2020 into the best year yet
- Plan your distractions: Limit your screen time to specific times and for a specified amount of time. Find healthier alternatives to your screen time like taking a 2 minute walk, reading one chapter of a book or listening to classical music.
- Don’t wait for the New Year: Start working on your goals from today. When the New Year starts it won’t add extra pressure but instead feel natural that you’re going for your goals.
- The 90 day year plan by Todd Herman: A fantastic system I use to plan my life. simply dedicate 90 days to achieving one goal. Concentrate all your resources to this one goal. I found this system to be far more effective than yearly resolutions.
- Succeed in execution. Planning is easy, the challenge is in executing. When I want to succeed in executing with my team I follow a rugby tactic called ‘Scram and Sprint’. Come together, make a plan and disperse. Everyone has their instructions on what to do and how to do it but first we strategize together. My role as a leader is to help focus each individual’s skills, empower them and align their goals and everyone else’s.
- Maintain consistency.
- Sacrifice, sacrifice and more sacrifice. Success lies outside of your comfort zone so get comfortable with being uncomfortable for a while for the greater good.
The first of January may come only one a year but you have 365 new days to make sustainable changes to your lifestyle and performance. Happy holidays!