OK, so we are just over a week into the new year- how are all the new years resolutions going?
I don’t set new years resolutions anymore; could never maintain the rage.
But I do like to use the New Year to do some annual reflection and think about what changes I’d like to make in the New Year. But my planning is much more organic that setting SMART goals, or overly defined resolutions.
I simply start a new page in my trusty moleskine, draw a line down the middle and call one column “more” and the other “less”.
I then focus on two things from the previous year; what worked and what didn’t. I think about all the the activities, connections, relationships and projects that lead me to success and happiness. I then plan to do more of those things in the New Year. Makes sense to me- kinda like putting your strengths to work to quote Marcus Buckingham.
I then look at what didn’t quite work out, or the things that didn’t help me achieve the success or results I wanted to and plan to do less of those things.
This approach works for me because it helps bring about changes- if I don’t do more of something, or less of something else, things will stay the same.
Plus it ensures that things aren’t absolute- I don’t have to give up anything- like surfing the net- but I do know that if I am surfing around on the internet, I am probably in the ‘less’ column, and want to be in the ‘more’ column- and that serves as a subtle jolt I need to look at my priorites at any given point in time.
So if you struggle with keeping New Years resolutions- this idea might work for you too