Each year we make New Years resolutions. On 1 January we are keen to lose the weight, start a business or get back into shape. However, by 5 January, most people have forgotten about them, and come February no-one mentions them.

I reckon there are three reasons for this.

1. Resolutions are set as an end goal – there is no planning involved on how to get there. Failing to plan is planning to fail.
2. They are made in a holiday context. Many people are in holiday mode during the Christmas-New Year period. The troubles of the year past are almost forgotten, and the challenges and excitement of the year to come are not yet real. Things seem easier so resolutions are bold. This leads to inevitable failure
3. They are not needed every day. This is probably the biggest reason for failure. Most resolutions don’t need to be actioned every day. Even if you manage to make it to the gym for 3 consecutive days, come January 4 you will need to take a day off to let your body recover. This stops momentum and makes it difficult to maintain when the holidays pass and the real world returns.

But there is a better way. It’s about working at a deeper level and taking a longer-term perspective.

Set a personal theme for the year; a theme that resonates with you. It might be leverage, education or investing – or anything else that holds meaning to you. This theme acts as the criteria that all decisions and actions are judged against. If you’re thinking of going to the gym, assess it against your personal theme. If it’s a match – take action. If it’s not, move on.

By using a personal theme for the year, you are making decisions against your personal values, not merely the pros and cons of an individual activity

In 2016, my personal theme has been growth. Every time I have had a decision to make, I assessed possible outcomes of how much I will grow. In 2015 it was Experiences. Every activity had to give me a new experience.

It is important that your theme resonates with who you are and what you stand for. It must align to your personal values. In my Personal Leadership program I take your team through developing personal themes and how to implement them into their personal life, work life and all other areas. Then we match the personal themes to organisational drivers. When personal values match organisational drivers, employees lock onto messages, see their actions contributing to a bigger picture and are more committed to achieving company goals. This is what every organisation needs.

If you need your team to reach new heights in 2014, give me a call on +61 (0)422 670 659 or send me an e-mail and we can design a program that empowers your staff to achieve more.

As always, would love your comments below.

Have a great Christmas break and I look forward to touching base again in the New Year.

Cheers

Darren

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