Start the New Year with more than your good intentions
We probably all begin a new year with good intentions. Many people make resolutions to lose weight, improve their eating habits, or get a new job, to name a few. If these sound like familiar promises you ultimately fell short on, it’s probably a good idea to assess what happened. December is a perfect time to look back, review the past year, and figure out where things went sideways. Evaluate what you got done this past year before you jump into the New Year.
First, look back and take stock of what you did accomplish that you’re proud of and happy about. What contributed to your success? Can you replicate your approach? Conversely, did you fall short of accomplishing what you had hoped to accomplish? Were there events that impacted your performance or your well-being? How well did you handle them? What could you do differently when faced with similar challenges?
Take the bull by the horns.
You might be wistfully remembering how well you did in January and February, but by March, you were already starting to slip. Even with the best intentions, the resolutions you made in December were probably in your head and not recorded in your calendar. In other words, without an action plan and commitments to complete specific tasks by specific dates, you were pretty much doomed from the get-go. Now is the time to take the bull by the horns and pull a plan together to start this next year with more than your good intentions.
If tasks remain on your to-do list week after week, stop talking about it and use a calendar. Make a commitment to get things done, come hell or high water. Even if life events sway you, you can remain on course. A simple strategy to ensure you stay on top of what’s most important begins with having clearly defined goals. The next step is to plan dates for accomplishing specific tasks and objectives to achieve those goals. You’re less likely to add another inconsequential task to a full day when you can see the number of commitments clearly scheduled in your calendar. You’ll also reconsider taking off for a happy hour before you get things done. If something requires immediate attention and you fail to complete the scheduled task, reschedule it. What we’re really talking about is accountability.
Reschedule unfinished tasks.
Plan around your known events first. Then block time in your calendar for new tasks. If a true emergency arises, you can reschedule unfinished tasks for another time. But don’t let those tasks fall through the cracks. Reschedule them before or immediately after you have dealt with the interruption. Adding more work to a revolving to-do list only makes a longer list. Unplanned actions remain happenstance and unlikely to be accomplished.
Make sure to include time to evaluate your progress each week. If you have trouble staying on track, find an accountability buddy who will hold your feet to the fire. Do what it takes to own your actions and remain accountable for your results (or lack thereof). Track your accomplishments and challenges to help you improve your productivity as you move forward. Most importantly, make this process a habit you don’t deviate from. Make this New Year your best so far.
For more career advice, check out my webinars on Strategies for the New Year: Get More Out of Your Career and Life, Goal Setting and Managing Your Time and Multiple Commitments and follow me on LinkedIn and (X) Twitter.
