It is the beginning of the year and most people have a list of resolutions.
To be successful with these changes you need to roll them out one at a time,
instead of trying to add them all on the first day.
It is all about setting yourself up for success instead of failure.
Step #1 is awareness
I always start the new year by evaluating the last one. It is important to really know what worked last year. And to look at what didn’t work and how to change that. If you evaluate and look at everything you will be aware of what you need to improve in the new year.
Step #2: Celebrate your successes
Now take a moment to celebrate your successes. This step is often ignored. We don’t take time to celebrate. This is one of the most important steps. You need to acknowledge what you have accomplished. We all want to be acknowledged by our boss, parents and peers. Think about a time when you did an amazing job at something. Doing great work is how you live your life. But if you take a moment to pat yourself on the back by celebrating, you will reinforce the positive in your experience. There will be a time that you aren’t feeling positive, or you are having a frustrating time. The memory of the celebration can help you get past that hard time. I have my clients celebrate their successes by taking a picture of themselves celebrating-dinner, movie, new clothes, new jewelry, a trip. The celebrations can be big or small. The point is to take a moment to pat yourself on the back. Treat yourself like you want to be treated by a boss.
Step #3: Now it is time to take the list of changes and prioritize them.
What is the first thing you need to change or accomplish in the new year?
Step #4 Start at the top of the list and add one thing at a time.
Do the first priority for a few days and get used to the new activity. It is on its way to being a habit. Once it becomes easy you can add another thing from your list. When that becomes a habit, then add another
It could take all year to make all of the changes.
The time frame isn’t as important as being successful with each new change.
Since I started rolling out the changes in my life, my success rate has been much higher.
Success helps us with motivation, we want to keep moving. Failure stops the momentum. If you fail at one of your tasks in the rollout you can assess what is happening because you know it is that task that is giving you an issue. If you start everything at once there is no discernment between tasks, making it hard to assess, change direction and fix the issues.