Rescue Your Resolutions

by Rochelle Melander

 “Long-term results are created by the actions you take every day.”

–Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington

Only 20 percent of people keep their New Year’s Resolution. That’s right: 80 percent dump their New Year’s resolutions by the second week in February.

How do those successful people do it?

I have been studying and writing about this for years. Here’s how to beat the trend and successfully keep your resolutions.

Successful people set quarterly goals

When we plan for the entire year, we often have many goals. And why not? We have the whole year to achieve them. When we look at all the goals, we get overwhelmed or freaked out. But because we have the whole year to achieve our goals, we usually procrastinate, putting off our work until later in the year.

Successful people tackle goals one quarter at a time.

This week, revisit your New Year’s resolutions and figure out what you want to accomplish by the end of the last quarter.

Successful people write specific goals

When we dream of our ideal future life, we see a healthier, stronger us. We imagine ourselves writing books, appearing on podcasts, and finally quitting our day job. But when we write down our vision or create a vision board, we may forget to put together a plan.

Instead, we have vague resolutions like: Exercise more. Eat better. Write. But we’re never going to get anything done with vague resolutions that we can’t measure.

People who succeed at keeping their New Year’s resolutions write goals that are specific and measurable. Here’s how you might write your resolution so that you can achieve it.

I will walk every morning for 30 minutes so that I can meet my goal of exercising more.

I will eat a green vegetable with every meal so that I can meet my goal of eating better.

I will write every day for [# minutes] at [specific time] so that I can meet my goal of [xyz.]

Successful people schedule time to work on their goals

You can’t achieve a goal you don’t work towards. (Duh.) We need to schedule time for the actions that move us toward what we want in life. In a study examining scheduling, the researchers worked with two groups of drug addicts in withdrawal. They asked both groups to write an essay before 5 PM on a certain day. The first group was given no more instructions. The second group was asked to decide when and where they would write the essay. No one in the first group completed the essay. BUT 80 percent of the people who chose when and where they would write their essay finished it.

And here’s a pro tip: the people who are super successful at achieving their goals have turned those tiny daily actions into habits. They do not think about their daily walk because it’s a habit: they just do it.

When you schedule time in your calendar to work on your goal, think about how you can work toward making this a daily habit. Consider:

+Is there a time of day that you are regularly free?

+Is there a time of day when you work better?

+Can you tie your writing to something you do every day anyway—like your morning cup of coffee?

When you make your writing a habit, you will do it without question.

BONUS: Successful people get support.

We get more done when we state our goals and stay accountable to another person or a group of people. In a study done by The American Society of Training and Development (ASTD), people increase their chances of success by 95 percent when they keep an accountability appointment with someone who knows their goals.

I can help.

I have three writing groups starting this fall! I expect all of these to fill soon, so if you want in, sign up quickly. The window for signing up closes Thursday, September 18.

My most popular offering, the Writing Accountability Group meets on Monday afternoons at 1:00 PM CT starting Monday, September 22. This group provides you with focused writing time, goal accountability, and group coaching. You can read about it and sign up here: https://writenowcoach.com/writing-accountability-group/ I have room for 2-3 people for this fall’s offering.

The Goddess Group meets on Thursday afternoons at 2:30 PM CT, starting Thursday, September 25. We exchange manuscripts each session, so this gives you a real deadline to motivate you to write. You have time in each session to talk about what’s working, what you’re struggling with, and what kind of help you need from the group. If you’re interested in this group, message me. I have room for 1-2 people person to join the group.

This past year, Show Up and Write has been one of my most popular offerings. We currently meet three times a week for half the price of last year. https://writenowcoach.com/show-up-and-write-writing-circles/

Write Now! Coach Rochelle Melander is an author and ADHD-trained professional certified coach. She helps wildly creative people get stuff done. From writing and publishing books to finishing that work project–she’s got you covered. If you’re struggling to start or finish a project, connect with Rochelle to create a personalized plan for overcoming procrastination, dealing with distraction, and staying focused. Book a private consultation: https://writenowcoach.com/consultation/