Kill your resolutions and do this instead

by | Jan 3, 2017 | Monthly-ish tips

This post is part of our Weekly Tips series.

While “new” is in the air right now, there are always messages that bear repeating, like the tip I share this time every year about what it takes to make personal change really stick. I’m going to boldly say (again) that this tip is your #1 predictor of success in 2017, whether your aims relate to building relationships or developing business or something more personal.

What this tip is not: declare resolutions. According to Ray Williams, a columnist for Psychology Today, people do well with resolutions for the first two weeks, but by February we’re all backsliding and come December we’re sometimes further behind. (How’s that for depressing.)

One of Ray’s antidotes just happens to match up with my own experience of breaking through something: pair up with a buddy.

Just about every time I’ve made a significant and important change in my life—when I’ve actually followed through on a commitment to do more of what really matters to me—I’ve done it with the help of someone else. I’ve had writing buddies, workout buddies, business development buddies, art buddies, and more. Sometimes they just listen to the declarations I make out loud (which helps me follow through on my own); sometimes they play a more active role.

So … forget the resolutions. Think about what matters to you in 2017. Who’s got your back?

Make It Real

This week, focus on one aspect of your life where you want to make a change. Consider your best buddy candidates and reach out. Keep it simple, be clear about your expectations, and be sure to choose someone (or people) you enjoy interacting with—you might as well have fun in the process.

Learn More

TAfieldbook
Discover another alternative to the New Year’s Resolution List, from our friends at Trusted Advisor Associates, or re-discover how collaboration is also a key marketing principle in Chapter 11 of The Trusted Advisor Fieldbook.

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Andrea Howe

As the founder of The Get Real Project, I am the steward of our vision and our service offerings, as well as a workshop leader and keynote speaker. Above all else, I am an entrepreneur on a mission: to kick conventional business wisdom to the curb and transform how people work together as a result. I am also the co-author, with Charles H. Green, of The Trusted Advisor Fieldbook (Wiley, 2012).

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