Positive Mindset Just Isn't Enough

In the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, many folks find a quiet room in the house to do some last minute personal development and planning for 2018. Somewhere between the books they read and the cleaning they do, they will make a “to do” list for themselves. “New Year’s Resolutions”, if you will.

They might even, as some experts recommend, keep the list on the mirror in their bathroom and/or on a laminated card in their wallet. The list will be where you can see it, and think about it.

You’ve opened your mind to what you want for 2018.

Good Start.

You are less than halfway there.

It’s understood that fewer than 20% of people who list their New Year’s Resolutions actually complete them, and a good number of experts will tell you it’s actually less than TEN percent. And by “not completing” I mean “giving up by March 1^st”.

How can this be?  You made a list, you opened your mind, you read a good book….what went wrong?

Action.

Lists are great, but if you don’t act on your list, you’ve done very little.

Too many people pepper their lists with excuses and procrastination.  “I’ll start NEXT week. I’ll do it after X. I first have to wait for Y to happen. This is a busy week, I’ll do it Z….”

No action. No effort. No results.

More folks turn their lists into lists OF lists.

They set a goal, then write about an Action Plan. Then detail their Action Plan. Then go to the library for 3 weekends studying the minutiae of their Action Plan.

Paralysis by Analysis. Procrastination. Over thinking.

Do it NOW.

The problem with over-evaluating is the fear of failure.

But if you don’t fail, you can’t see what works and what doesn’t. You can’t learn from your mistakes or celebrate small victories. 

Without effort, you just have a list, and you aren’t really better off than you were on December 15^th.

Instead of harboring a list of New Year Resolutions, let me make a different recommendation for this Winter:

   1)      Start off with just 2 goals. That’s right, just 2. Two really important ones. 2 things that will absolutely change/improve/impact your life if you were to thru with them.   

   2)      Find a partner/friend/mentor that you can tell these 2 goals about…and INSIST that they keep you accountable through the Winter.

   3)      Every Day, do something that moves you closer to that goal. No planning in this stage. No studying. Just DO something. If you are trying to lose weight, go to the gym. If you are trying to increase sales, do some prospecting. If you are trying to learn a new language, listen to an audio tape of the language.

   4)      Every Night, look back on your day and see your results. If something you tried didn’t pan out, do something different tomorrow. If something you did went well, do it again tomorrow.    

   5)      Allow your accountability partner to check on you whenever and how ever. No getting defensive, no making excuses, no putting things off. When they call, you answer with honesty.

If you can do steps 1-3 this week, you can be WELL on your way to success by March 1^st. And on March 2^nd you will be so pleased with your results that you’ll want to work this way for another 2 months. Maybe another SIX months?  Maybe all year??

Studying and Planning are wonderful, but be sure to ACT. Be sure to keep moving forward with Action, and evaluate your action AFTER you’ve made the effort.

Otherwise, you just wind up on a list.

The list of folks with good intentions, but minimal success.

Here’s to your successful and prosperous 2018!