The start of a new year is a great time to make improvements to your personal, professional, and financial life. However, as you’ve probably experienced, making significant change isn’t easy.
Research shows that only 9% of people succeed at keeping their New Year’s resolutions. In fact, nearly a quarter of those surveyed reported that they abandoned their new goals within the first week.1
Why is our general failure rate so high? The answer is both complex and unique to each person. But you could boil it down to the fact that we’re wired to be resistant to change.
Think about one area where you’d like to modify your behavior. It probably took you years to settle into that way of doing things. Getting out of that rut will take a combination of motivation, planning, and discipline. And your end goal has to be something that you will find truly rewarding.
MindTools, a management development company, has compiled eight rules for successful New Year resolutions.2
Commit to your resolution: Choose something you really want to achieve.
Be realistic: Don’t bite off more than you can chew.
Write it down: This simple technique helps you commit to your goal.
Make a plan: Exactly how are you going to do it?
Be flexible: Don’t get derailed by a minor obstacle.
Use reminders: These will help keep you focused.
Track progress: Little successes are highly motivating.
Reward yourself: Even the most motivated person can use a boost.
These are all simple principles. But taken together they greatly increase your chance for success.
The MindTools team adds one more piece of advice: “There are two common detours people tend to make before they even start to set their New Year resolutions. First, they think about what they SHOULD do, rather than what they really WANT to do. Second, they think about what they should STOP doing rather than what they want to achieve.”
In other words, change only comes when you already have a strong desire to make that change. So, before you start listing your New Year’s resolutions, take time to consider what it is you really want. Then make it all about that positive outcome.
When your new goals align with the motivation you already have, you’re much more likely to stick with your positive changes for 2025.
If you ever have any questions about your investments or retirement plans, please feel free to give me a call at 801-545-0696.
Regards,
Mark Lund
Stonecreek Wealth Advisors, Inc.
10421 South Jordan Gateway, Suite 600
South Jordan, UT 84095
Sources:
1. http://go.pardot.com/e/91522/ost-new-years-resolutions-fail/961zm3/2555621654/h/XMF8n7i0BJv8oh8-ssjMRKk9rWZoZvCl-cYgCmxdfzo
2. http://go.pardot.com/e/91522/a8mlh20-new-year-resolutions/961zm6/2555621654/h/XMF8n7i0BJv8oh8-ssjMRKk9rWZoZvCl-cYgCmxdfzo
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