Nearly half of everyone that made New Year resolutions have already abandoned their goals. It is still January! Why is it that so many of us make great plans, but fail to follow through?
Change is hard. We want to achieve, but many of us don’t spend the effort to make success a reality.
We all stumble. We all fail sometimes, but failure due to lack of effort is different. You were not committed to be successful from the start.
Here are three things you can do to increase your success at keeping your 2012 resolutions.
1. Hold That Vision. My friend Paul Martinelli uses this phrase all the time. He taught me that in order to achieve a goal, you must know what it looks like. Then you must hold that vision. You must picture yourself achieving success. So make sure you know what the conclusion of your successful resolution looks like.
2. Keep Your Goal In Front of You Daily. Every day do something to move yourself towards your goal. Keep that action on your to-do list, or on a sticky note on your mirror, or on a card taped inside your car. Being successful will become a habit if you work at it every day.
3. Reflect Weekly on Progress. Are your actions showing progress? Do you need to adjust? How can you accelerate your progress? What has slowed you down? What obstacles do you need help with? Those are all questions you can be asking yourself every week. Make sure your actions are contributing towards your goal.
There is nothing new in those simple three tips. But before you abandon your 2012 resolutions, make sure your are putting in the effort.