Don’t make resolutions – Make changes

Linda LaitalaBusiness, EmployeesLeave a Comment

Newspapers and magazines are full of articles on how to make New Year’s resolutions that succeed. Even Harvey Mackay joined in:
• “Resolutions need to be specific, attainable and personal. They need to come from your heart.”
• “The fewer resolutions you have, the better.”
• Tell other people; it puts pressure on you to stick with it.
• Reward yourself when you succeed or accomplish something.


Forget it.

Why would you bet on something that has a 92% chance of failure? (Forbes online, 1/1/2014, Dan Diamond). Instead of resolutions, make changes.

That’s right, get out of your chair right now and look around your company. What do you see?
• Piles of paper or folders?
• A dingy room that needs a fresh coat of paint?
• A file box whose bottom hasn’t seen the light of day in months?
• Cluttered flat surfaces?

Don’t be overwhelmed – start small. Start with one pile of papers and then tackle the next one and the next one. It doesn’t have to be completed today; it has to be started today. And continued tomorrow and the day after and the day after that. Making things happen is a journey, not a destination.

Be a person of action.

Be someone who makes things happen. Be a person who says, “Today I:
• Painted the break room
• Hired someone to organize my office
• Organized a team to write processes for work flow• Scheduled an appointment with my attorney to update my will

Then do it. Accomplishing just one thing on your “I should” list will make you feel good.

So don’t be one of the 92% who fail at keeping their resolutions.

Be one of a select few who actually gets things done.

Please tell me what you think of this blog.

 

“We will open the book. It’s pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called opportunity and it’s first chapter is New Year’s Day.”
  ~ Edith Lovejoy Pierce

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