Every year, billions of people around the world ring in the New Year by creating a list of “resolutions”—a series of items they want to acquire, goals the want to accomplish, or habits they want to instill in a quest to become “better” in one capacity or another.
Yet very, very few of us accomplish those resolutions.
Most, if not all us, end up leaving our resolutions somewhere between “incomplete” or “never started.”
Why? What is it about New Year’s resolutions that makes them so hard to complete?
Are we incompetent in our execution of these goals or insincere in our desire to change?
No.
More than anything else, we are distracted.
We have too many goals, too many aspirations. That makes it difficult, if not impossible, to achieve our goals.
But having too many aspirations can backfire on you—especially if you try to accomplish them all at the same time.
Too Many Goals Prove Problematic
The more goals you want to accomplish, the more things you want to do, the more habits you want to change, the more options you consider, the harder it becomes to make the kind of commitment that leads to real change.
Remember—the conscious mind only has the ability to focus on one objective or thought at a time.
Taken individually, I want to lose 25 pounds in 2017 or I want to write 200 words every day this year are objectives our minds’ can handle, work towards, and accomplish.
But taken together—I want to write 200 words every day AND lost 25 pounds in 2017—these thoughts begin to make you distracted.
When you’re working out, you’re thinking about writing. When you’re writing, you’re thinking about working out.
In this scenario, you are never fully committed or focused on an action because your attention and energy are divided.
When you are distracted, you significantly decrease your ability to create results.
Focus on One BIG Goal
The more stated goals or resolutions you take on, the greater your distraction becomes. That explains why most people only find success after decreasing the number of New Year’s resolutions they’ve identified.
To find success from goal or resolution setting, start with a single purpose. One that can be stated in strong, certain terms and from which everything else can flow.
Do not make 2017 the year of resolutions; make it the year of resolution.
Identify the one goal that is most important to you and then take massive action towards accomplishing it.
Chunk Big Goals Into Small Ones
To accomplish your one primary goal or resolution, you must decide what massive action you might take. This is where additional small goals come into play.
For example, if your goal is to write 200 words per day, you might chunk that goal down into the following smaller goals: Get up early every day to write, write before I do anything else, and conduct the research for my work in progress on Tuesday evenings.
Make Success Easier to Achieve
Is identifying one goal above all others easy? No.
But if success is something you want to experience, it’s an essential thing to do.
And when you focus on one resolution or goal, you’ll achieve success more easily. Your attention will remain on what matters most, and you’ll move toward that goal with committed action in a consistent manner.
You won’t leave your resolution incomplete or never started.
When you commit to accomplishing your “one thing,” there’s a better than good chance you’ll realize it long before the end for the calendar year. When you do, you’ll not only be able to enjoy the personal satisfaction of meeting your goal, you’ll also be able to move on to a new one.
What’s your one thing for this year? Tell me in a comment below.
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If you are interested in getting clear about your “one thing” and how to take action toward fulfilling that goal, apply for a free one-hour high-performance strategy session. (Click here to download the application.) Fill it out, and then attach it to an email and send it to Nina@Ninaamir.com.
PLUS, until the end of January, I’m giving away two bonuses to those who sign up for my 12-week Certified High Performance Coaching program: a bonus session (value $300) and a ticket to Brendon Burchard’s High Performance Academy (value $997) this March in San Diego.
Make 2017 the year you do what you love while making a living.
Photo copyright: Concord90 / Pixabay.com
My one thing for this year is to Indie publish my first novel by October. And I”m simultaneously terrified and excited!
Awesome! Go for it. You can do it!
This is one of the most helpful blog i have come across.. Thank You so much…… Love.