We recently hired a dog trainer for our 1 ½ year old Labrador Retriever. A lot of what we’re working on is helping him un-learn some of the bad habits we’d allowed him to develop.
The trainer told us that we might see his bad behaviors increase before they got better (what we Psychologists call an extinction burst) and that the key to Cobi learning new behaviors was consistent practice on our parts.
Since we’re in the first few weeks of the new year, it made me think about resolutions and how many people struggle to make desired changes in their lives. Whether it’s a personal goal, a promotion, or feeling more satisfied at work, making changes can be difficult.
Research shows that when it comes to habit formation, consistent action brings about consistent results (both positive and negative).
Did you make any resolutions this year?
How’s it going for you? Have you broken any of them yet?
The thing about resolutions is that they rarely stick. For one reason or the other these well-intentioned ideas go by the wayside as the year presses on and people find themselves, once again, regretting what they didn’t do.
Resolutions often fail for many reasons, but I think the top 3 are these:
- They’re not specific enough.
- People set them for the wrong reasons.
- It’s hard to stay consistent in our actions.
Although the word “resolution” might not apply in a business setting, knowing what’s important to you and putting your energy and effort toward completing your goals is critical.
As a business owner I have to set and keep my own goals, which isn’t always an easy task. Fortunately, I have a coach and accountability partners to help me stay the course when things get tough.
This year, I want to improve how I approach my days and work with my team, I want to create new offerings and modalities to serve clients at a higher level, and also honor personal goals that will help me feel balanced and fulfilled.
Instead of making a few vague resolutions this year, I chose to be intentional in my approach to setting my goals.
I asked myself these questions:
- “What are the things that I really want to be true by the end of the year that aren’t true today?”
- “Why do I want this to be true? Why is it important to me?”
- “How can I make this happen? Who can help me?”
Leaders often want to make positive changes at work and in their personal lives but they feel stuck and don’t know where to begin or feel unable to gain the momentum they need to take action.
Tweet: Creating new habits takes both clarity and commitment.
If this sounds like you and you need some help setting intentional goals that will stick, I can help!
I’ve decided to share with you a tool that I created to guide myself through the process of not only thinking about what I wanted to change or improve, but also why that activity or outcome is so meaningful to me.
I’m calling this guide the 10 True Things Tool™ and you can get yours here for FREE!
I’d love to hear how this tool helps you gain clarity and start taking intentional action. Please comment below to share your experience and feedback!
