Your New Year’s Resolution Isn’t Good Enough

Are you sitting down? Good. We have some news for you, and it might be hard to take. You know that New Year’s resolution list you made? The one you carefully planned, typed and framed above your desk as a constant reminder to never stop reaching toward your goals? Yeah, that one. Well, we hate to break it to you, but it sucks.

Your New Year’s resolutions aren’t good enough. You’re going to fail. Please don’t take it personally. Nearly 80 percent of New Years’ Resolutions fail by January 20! That’s not even a whole month. And here’s why: New Years’ Resolutions are often lofty, and even when they’re not, they are always focused on end results. It’s rare that people focus on the steps it takes to get there.

Lucky for you, we’re here to help. We have the steps to ensure that you’ll not only meet all your office goals for 2013, but that you’ll be up at 5:30 a.m. hitting the treadmill before you even think about work. Whether your resolution is professional, personal or otherwise, just simply follow the steps below:

1. Make a plan: Let’s say one of your goals for 2013 is to strengthen your social media presence. If that’s your goal, you’ll probably fail and end up with two more tweets and two less followers than you had in 2012.

Now, let’s say your resolution is to make a social media calendar each month detailing each posts, you’re much more likely to succeed. You could even write out the posts themselves in the calendar, so all you have to do that day is paste and post. It’s much more productive than just wishing you had more Facebook likes. By getting past the goal to focus on the steps it takes to get there, you’ll improve your chances of success.

2. Write it down: Leaving your New Year’s resolution floating around in your head is a pretty good way to ensure the results will only materialize in your head. You need to write it down. Or type it out. It is 2013, after all. Thanks to the wonders of technology, there are almost an endless number of tools out there to help you stay on track and meet your goals.
According to the American Psychology Association, willpower (or rather “won’tpower”) is the most commonly cited culprit when people fail to reach their goals. Luckily, robots don’t have will power (yet) so computer programs like BaseCamp and TeamworkPM and apps like Wunderlist and Astrid can be a huge help. The good news is if keep your resolution for three months, its more likely to graduate to a long-term commitment.

1. Enlist help:Share your goals with your co-workers, your boss, your friends, your dog — whomever you trust and believe will give you valuable feedback and help you stick to your goals. You don’t have to announce them to the world (although, we saw on Facebook that many of you already did), but telling a few trusted individuals will help you stick to it. If all else fails, just leave this motivational penguin gif on your desktop for the rest of 2013.

So, we admit it. We might have been being a little harsh at first. We prefer to use the word “honest.” But let’s face it, most New Year’s Resolution’s are lame and don’t get you anywhere. Just follow our simple guidelines, and you’ll be on your way to a more successful 2013. Then, go ahead and celebrate with some ice cream. We won’t tell anyone.