I love January 1st; for me it’s like sitting at a desk with a clean sheet of paper and a fountain pen. What wondrous words and ideas will appear? What amazing things will happen?
For others, the New Year is a time to visualize what they want their life to be. They spend much time pondering resolutions. What should they focus on? What would make them and their loved ones happy or happier?
In his Monday Morning Memo this week, Alan Weiss pointed out that the reason resolutions are so popular is that there are NO consequences for not living up to them. “Who would run a company of any kind where there are no adverse consequences for inappropriate behavior?” He suggests resolutions, like strategy never fail in their formulation. They fail in their implementation.
If you’re determined to make a few resolutions, then create consequences and accountabilities for not achieving them. Ask a friend to critique you on your progress. Make your resolution and your progress public so others can see your improvement or lack thereof. If you’re a resolution maker then be a resolution achiever.
If you want the outcomes of resolutions without all the hoopla, ponder these 5 powerful questions as you move into the New Year.
- Which 2014 success or accomplishment are you most proud of?
- What were your learnings from 2014?
- What’s the most important thing to you in your life right now?
- What are the most valuable, impactful things you’ll do in 2015?
- Would you rather be doing anything else in your life right now?
Dean Johnson, founder of Arcon Construction once told me, “Every year I make it a point to do something I’ve never done before. I don’t like going out of my comfort zone, but when I do, I always learn something new about myself.”
What will you learn about yourself this year?