At one time or another we have probably all made New Year’s Resolutions.
How many of those resolutions did you manage to keep for a year?
It may surprise you to know that according to research by the University of Scranton and the Journal of Clinical Psychology, 25% of resolutions don’t even last a week, but nearly 50% (46% to be exact) are still going strong after 6 months, although strangely only around 10% can keep it going for a full year.
So what can you do to give you a higher chance of success? Resolutions are much like any other “plans” you may come up with – your chances are much higher if you a) write it down – i.e. specifically acknowledge the goal and b) have some form of accountability (maybe a business coach ;-).
Studies also show that you should have specific goals, such as “I want to lose 10 pounds by March 1” or “I want to save $50 of each paycheck.” The more specific you are the more likely you are to succeed.
Your ability to succeed may also be based on other things which maybe outside your control. While the majority of Americans age 45 and younger plan to make a New Year’s resolution, only 28 percent of those 45 and older will vow to make changes. That may have a strong correlation with the fact that the young are far more likely to be able to keep their resolutions than their older counterparts. People in their 20’s are more than 3 times more likely to be successful than people in their 50’s – a case of hope over experience?
If your resolutions are in anyway business related, please give Simon a call at (440) 385-6737, because studies prove that an independent accountability partner makes the chances of success much higher.