New Year Resolutions: Stop it! Stop it now! Do not attempt to make another New Year’s Resolution. January is almost over, and most of you have quit on your resolutions. Worst, some of you have never started. Please don’t participate in this annual ritual of disappointments. The birth of a New Year doesn’t give birth to making commitments.
Resolutions (these days) are for people who know they won’t accomplish them. They’re a game. They’re a commercialized, commoditized exercise in empty “dreaming” (the dreaming people do to waste time and go through the motions). It’s not the serious visualizing and dreaming people do when they’re DEAD ON SERIOUS about making changes. I don’t make “New Year’s resolutions.” I make commitments.
Resolutions don’t work. You do it every year because it feels good; you write them down and tell your friends. You took January 1st off because it was a holiday, or you had to go shopping, watch the Rose Parade, and watch the bowl games. Things got in the way, and you would start on Monday. Four weeks in, and your resolutions are getting dusty.
You Need to Make Commitments
Make commitments and commit to taking massive action on your goals. Intentions without actions are useless. What is a commitment? Isn’t it the same as promises and resolutions? No, it is not. When you commit to your goals, there is no turning back. Your heart, mind, and body are engaged in getting you to your destination.
Here are 12 Key Aspects to Making Commitments:
1. Know Where You Are Going – Narrow down your goals on where you want to be in 90 days, 6 months, and 12 months. Stop with the long to-do list. 20% of all your work will give you 80% of the results. Focus on the 2-3 things that will change your life.
2. Write it down – Write down your goals and look at them several times daily. Keep them on your mind. Read your list morning, noon, and night. Think about what you want as often as possible. This is top of the top-of-the-mind activity. You are a goal-setting and achieving mechanism. What you focus on will come to pass.
3. Create a Dream Board – Add some pictures to your goals after writing your intentions. Get visual. You need to visualize your end results, and you need to see them every day. Creating a dream board will let you see your end result live and in color. Knowing precisely what you want and seeing it will help you stay committed.
A board is bringing your vision into the physical. Instead of dancing it around in your head, you see it in real life. Hence, you are making it real, and what your mind believes is real…well, it’s real.
Just Start
4. You Can’t Control the Finish Line – You must begin with the first step. Everyone says to take massive action. Do you know what massive action is? Massive action sounds overwhelming, especially if you are a newbie. Taking massive action can also lead to burnout.
On the other hand, doing nothing will lead to failure every time. Just start. You can not control the outcome. Live in the present and act in the present. You can not act yesterday or tomorrow. Doing something is better than doing nothing. So start! Take that first step and keep going.
5. Put in the Reps – Repetition is the mother of skill. Put in the reps with your business. Reps create quality. Leave perfection at the door and get used to producing quantity. Learning new skills, improving our strengths, and promoting new products takes time. Practice, practice, practice.
Focus on income-producing activities and put in the reps on that. Sales and marketing are the lifeblood of your business. You must sell. I don’t care what the experts tell you. For someone to make money, a sale has to be made. Marketing helps bring in the customers you need to sell to. Put the reps in sales and marketing.
Read a related story: The Grand Design.
6. Reality vs. Expectations – Temper your expectations. Expectations are a major cause of failure. Have you ever been on a date and expected the best night in your life? The date went well, but it wasn’t as you expected. You expected fireworks with that first kiss. All you got was a hug, and let’s go out next weekend.
Did you fail? This was the moment. Your date was the one. In reality, it was a first date, and it will lead to another. You didn’t fail but let your expectations ruin your evening.
Keep your reality in check regarding marketing campaigns, sales, presentations, and pieces of training. Business is a marathon. Get the facts. We don’t suffer from a lack of information. Know your numbers and stay away from people’s opinions. Knowing the situation will keep you grounded and focused on your results.
Success Leaves Clues
7. The Thrill of Competition – We love competition. We love seeing athletes compete at their best, going against the odds of a dominating opponent. In business, it’s good to check on your competition. What marketing is working for them? How are they engaging their customers? What sales techniques are they using?
Competition is a double-edged sword when comparing your business to others in your industry. Your business is about you. Not anyone else. It’s nice to have measurements, but please compare apples to apples. Comparing your business to an industry leader will tire and frustrate you. Competition is a great motivator. Only compete against yourself and set your own milestones.
8. It’s All About You – For your business to succeed, you must succeed. Personal development is a must. Behavior change is essential to expanding. You know this. Now, commit to doing it. All it takes is 15-30 minutes a day. It takes 21 days or more to develop new habits. Work on yourself, and your business will grow.
Expand Your Network
9. Get an Accountability Partner – You don’t live in a bubble. You need someone to tell you when you are milking it. Someone needs to hold you accountable. This person needs to be strong and resistant to your charm. It should upset you when they say you are dropping the ball. They need to stick it to you when you fumble. It’s not all negative. They are there with words of encouragement and advice. Consider them as your sounding board on new ideas and implementation of plans.
10. Masterminding – Connect with a mastermind group. Get with entrepreneurs online or in your community. Learn from successful people. Remember, success leaves clues. You could join Toast Masters International, a civic or related group. Get involved, learn, and share.
11. Actions Beat Intentions Every Time – You have your goals, dream board, accountability partner, and mastermind group. But you need to take action. All the intentions in the world mean nothing without action. Commitments don’t get accomplished without action.
12. Make Sure You Are in the Right Business – All these aspects mean nothing if you are in the wrong business. Picking the right business for your strengths and talents is essential to cash-flowing success. Can you succeed in any industry? Maybe? There is a reason Pat Mahomes won the Super Bowl. He is in the right business. Suppose you hate pushing nutrition products, real estate, or insurance. Don’t be in that business. Don’t chase the money. Chase your strengths.
You know what you excel at. Suppose you don’t ask your spouse, partner, friends, or family. There are hinge moments in your life where you were the top dog and accomplished great things. Unearth those skills and get busy profiting from them. Exploit yourself.
Conclusion
It will take sacrifice, discipline, and work. These are action words that most people hate. Commitments are rarely easy. Just picture the athlete who gets up every morning to train. The entertainer who puts in hours perfecting her craft. That’s commitment. Your business deserves the same focused intensity. Take action and destroy your New Year’s Resolutions.
