You’ve probably seen statistics like this before—92 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail. But you can still be among the 8 percent who succeed.
Earlier this year, we laid out four New Year’s resolutions for your work life, things such as delegating more and finding new ways to network.
Now here we are nearly six months later, and it’s time to see if you have stayed on track with those resolutions. If you have—good for you! Hopefully you’ve also been getting to the gym more often and going to bed earlier, because clearly you have a knack for following through.
If you haven’t, don’t give up hope. It is never too late to adopt a new habit. Below we offer a few ways you can get back on track with your work resolutions, whatever they may have been. Remember, accountability can go a long way toward propelling you to any goal.
- 1. Reassess Your Resolutions
Resolutions can be ongoing or situational. Some may not have a long shelf life. If your resolution was to stay organized during your office move, which happened in May, then it’s time to set a new goal.
However, if your resolution was something less closed-ended, such as being more assertive in meetings, then now is the time to do a litmus test. Have you spoken up more to your superiors? Are you thinking about this goal every time you go to a meeting? Do you feel you’re getting results?
If the answer to the last one is yes, keep doing what you’re doing. But if you had trouble meeting the goal or discovered it wasn’t quite the right reach for you, then either lay out a new strategy or move on to another aim. Failing to achieve a resolution doesn’t mean you’re a failure. It just means it’s time to adjust.
- 2. Change the Way You Talk to Yourself
If you are looking over your resolutions and thinking, “Man, I am terrible” or “I’ll never achieve any of my goals,” then you need a mental timeout. You will never hit your goals if you don’t believe in yourself.
Switch your thoughts from negative to positive. Try some affirmations to bolster your many great qualities, and figure out how to realistically work toward your goal. Here’s an example, using our previous meetings resolution:
“I have raised two major points during meetings over the past six months. One of them led to a company-wide policy overhaul. While there’s still room for me to improve on my assertiveness, getting a positive result like that shows how I can make a difference at work. I will concentrate on raising big points and stop feeling guilty when I get to nervous to mention small ones.”
- 3. Create New Reminders
Maybe you didn’t hit your goals because you forgot about them. Out of sight, out of mind isn’t just an expression — it’s actually true. If you want to hit a goal, you need to keep it top of mind. Try the following strategies:
- Put a daily reminder on your calendar to keep after your goal
- Find motivational quotes to keep you going — we have a bunch of #MotivationMonday ones on our Facebook page if you need inspiration
- Add Post-It notes to your computer screen stating your goal
- 4. Enlist an Accountability Partner
People often meet friends at the gym to ensure they squeeze in their exercise. The same can work for resolutions. Find a pal — preferably one you don’t work with — and share your resolutions with each other. Agree on a once-monthly check-in to keep you on track. You may find yourself working harder to meet your goal in anticipation of that meeting.
Do you have any tricks for keeping a New Year’s resolution? We always welcome your input! Share your ideas with us on social media. You can find us on:
