How many times have you committed to make a significant change in your life, only to find yourself a year later having made no headway on the commitment? Have you ever made a resolution to lose 30 pounds only to notice three months later that your weight was slightly higher than your starting weight? While looking at your credit card balance, have you ever told yourself you were done borrowing on the credit card only to end the next Christmas season with a large credit card balance yet again?
We’ve all been in those shoes. We notice something we want to change, wish it were better, hope it will get better, desire for it to be better, yet we don’t do what it takes to make it better. Wishing and hoping does not make things better. The only thing you can do to improve on something is to act.
If you want something to change,
you have to CHANGESOMETHING.
Change never happens by wishing things were different. Change happens when we take action, by doing new things that will create a new outcome. As long as we keep doing the same things, we will continue to get the same results. Here’s how to make your New Year’s Resolutions Stick.
Create a concrete goal
When you set a goal, it must be very specific and include a timeline. You will not likely know when you have reached a goal of “running faster” if you didn’t first define what faster means and to set a time frame on which to achieve the goal. Your goal is far more likely to be reached if it sounds more like by June 1st I will be able to run a 5K race in less than 25 minutes.
A great way to improve your running game is to sign up for a race. Sign up with a friend who has the same goal and you compound your chances of achieving your goal. If you want to learn a new surgical technique, sign up for a course that teaches that technique.
To get more information about how to set achievable goals, read my article on SMARTER goal setting.
Hire a coach
One of the best ways to make a change in your life is to put your money where your mouth is. Pay for something that creates accountability and teaches you what you need to do to succeed.
I recently revamped my pickleball court and I plan to get back into playing pickleball. To achieve my goal of playing pickleball again, but this time playing it well, I purchased a special pickleball rebounder to help practice my close game. I have also been asking around to find a good coach. A coach will help me get started playing correctly, without developing bad habits that are hard to break.
What do you want to change in the next year? If you want to get into shape, hire a personal trainer to get you started. If you want your pickleball game to improve, get a pickleball coach. If you want better clarity, purpose and drive, hire me as your high-performance coach (I’m certified) and let’s get you to the next level. If you are ready to get your finances on track, I can help with that also.
Move toward what you want to change, don’t just tell yourself you want something to be different. Hire a coach to help you achieve your goals.
Get an accountability partner
Nothing helps move you toward your goal like having someone with the same goal come alongside you to motivate each other to achieve the goal. A running partner who is calling you to go for a run. A friend who cycles and will ride with you a few times a week. A buddy in AA who will check on you when you feel the urge to break your vow.
Since my wife and I both have a goal to work out four times a week, if we team up, when she asks me to workout with her, or I ask her to work out with me, we double the chance of working out on a given day.
Having someone else invested in your goal greatly improves your chance of success. There is an old saying, put one crab in a bucket and he will climb out. Put two crabs in a bucket and they will keep pulling each other back into the bucket. Both accountability partners are working to prevent the other from breaking free from their commitment.
An accountability partner gives you additional motivation to keep you on track, whereas willpower alone is not enough.
Join a group with the same goal
Having a group of people around you with the same goal is very motivating. I want to get more involved in pickleball, so I am going to join a group of pickleball players. Since I am already part of a gym that has a pickleball group, I will start there. In fact, I already went to my first group play day. I learned there are two other local pickleball groups in the area and will investigate these two groups.
With a group you gain access to group activities. Open play on Thursday mornings to get me going. Tournaments three times a year to motivate me to improve. Parties and get togethers to become better acquainted with the other members of the group.
Being part of a group will encourage more participation and will skyrocket results.
When I was cycling, I joined a bike racing team with my kids. There were about 20 of us on the team and it was very motivating to ride with them. There were group rides, calls from teammates to go on rides and workout plans shared with each other. When the team disbanded a few years later, the number of miles I logged per year plummeted. Find a team that shares your goal and join them.
Buy the right equipment
If you are serious about your new goal, then get the right gear. Don’t just make do with what you have. Running shoes are not a good choice on the pickleball court. I needed to shop for court shoes. What a difference they have made. I now have great grip on the court in all directions even in the rain.
New equipment is inspiring. With a good paddle, I want to get out and play. Those great new court shoes motivate me to get out and use them. New balls bounce better and make the game more fun. The right glove helps you get a better grip on cold winter days.
If you don’t get good quality equipment, you will signal to yourself that you are not very committed to the new activity. Commit and get what you need.
I remember when my son joined the high school tennis team. We purchased top quality racquets, balls, and shoes for him to use. When I got a high-quality racquet for myself, my son was not happy. He liked having the advantage of better gear when we played. Gear makes a difference. Get good stuff and your chances of success improve immensely.
Set up a reward for achieving your goal
Most of us can think of a few things that we wish we could achieve. But wishing is not much of an incentive. Come up with something you really want in addition to your goal and combine the two. If you really want to go on a cruise to New Zealand, then set that up as a reward for reaching your new goal.
By March 1st I will lose 15 pounds. When I reach my goal, I will book a New Zealand cruise with my spouse. That extra motivation may be just what you need to reach your goal.
Ask yourself what it takes to succeed at what you want to do. Then be sure you do those things. Don’t cut corners. Go for it with all your heart and you will likely succeed. Feel free to contact me if you want me to be a part of your journey. If you are interested in better results, more clarity of purpose, getting into real estate investing, fine tuning your finances or anything else you think I can help you with, just shoot me an email and we can figure out how I can best help you. 2025 is your year to win! Go for it with gusto.
