3 Steps to Making Your Resolutions Stick

by Robin Sacks

· Calendar,Self-Leadership,Just Do It,Strategy,Behavior Change
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This is the week where too many people will make "promises" to themselves that they will affectionately call "resolutions." Most of these resolutions will be either forgotten about or simply given up on by January 31, 2021.

Why?

Because, if nobody has ever taught you HOW to make a real promise to yourself AND how to keep it, you probably suck at doing it (and that's why it never happens).

Let's cut right to the chase. Doing these three things will help you make and keep your promises to yourself, and finally make the changes in your life that you say you want.

Step 1 - Get Detailed Clarity.

There is the difference between saying, "I'm going to lose 30 pounds" and saying, "I'm going to walk each morning at 7:00 am for 30 minutes. I will also do meal prepping on Sunday afternoons, so that I can cook once and create several healthy meals that are easy grab and go options at any time of the day throughout the week. I will prep ten meals of chicken breast, parmesan broccoli, and my favorite rice in Tupperware that will work for lunches or dinners. I will also put two virtual yoga classes on my calendars for noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays."

See the difference? The key to being successful is not just to decide WHAT you are going to do, but to tell yourself (ahead of time) HOW you are going to do it. That takes the thinking out of the mix...all the decisions have already been made for you - before you begin.

When you get in the habits of working from your HOW instead of your WHAT, you realize that your WHAT is the result!

Step 2 - Put Everything in Your Calendar.

There are two big problems with to-do lists; one, they never end (because you keep adding to them!), and two, they don't have any urgency to them.

When you put things on your to-do list, you will eventually get to them (at least that's your intention). However, when you put things on your calendar, you respect that time (more often than not).

There is a difference between saying, "I need to finish that report for work, go to the grocery store, and return those emails today,' and saying, "At 9:00 am, I'm going to the grocery store (because nobody is there during that time!) so I can get in and out within a half hour. Then, from 10:00 am - noon, I am going to finish the report so that I have it done in plenty of time for the 3:00 pm meeting. After I have one of my prepped lunches from the fridge, I will work on emails from 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm."

See the difference? Everything will get done (with time to spare, and little or no rushing) because it has a time assigned to it. The reason it's so easy to waste half a day and then have to try and get a bunch of stuff done is rarely because you don't have the time; it's usually because you put it on your to-do list and figured you'd just "get it done today."

By simply adding some more structure to your tasks, you will not only get more accomplished, but you will lessen your stress along the way! The key here is to respect the times you make on your calendar for your tasks, just as you would any other appointment made with someone else. It's like having a personal assistant telling you what is next - put them on your calendar, forget about them, and just follow your day.

Step 3 - Do It!

Once you have the decisions already made and the time already blocked out, there is no more thinking involved. That takes away any and all excuses. Taking action becomes the easy part (instead of the hard part that we usually make it out to be!).

This three step process isn't just for resolutions made for the new year; it can be used anytime you want or need to develop a new habit or make a change in your life.

Get Clarity, Get Moving, Get Results™!

WRITTEN by Robin Sacks

Professionally, I'm a Confidence Coach, Motivational Speaker, and Author.

Personally, I'm a mom, wife, and friend.

I live for bad puns and cozy mysteries.

Learn a lot more at https://www.robinjsacks.com.

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