It’s only natural this time of year for resolution lists to be at the forefront of our newsfeeds, discussions, and planning. However, almost one month into the new year the excitement of a “New Year new you” has already started fading away. Why? For most people, New Year’s resolutions like eating healthier, saving more money, exercising more, or even working on organizational or management skills, rarely last beyond the first month of the year.
New Year, New Leadership Goals?
In reality, we all know the majority of people break their New Year’s resolutions within week’s if not days of setting them because they make the same one’s year after year. Instead of sticking to a healthy eating goal, it may be easier to put the blame on someone else, like Dominos for promoting their $6.99, two-topping pizza.
Resolutions vs Action Items
When considering the most popular excuse for missing their resolutions, most people say, “I don’t have time.” Many think that just because they are busy and spend most of the day running around working on an endless list of tasks, that they have no time.
However, there is a difference between being busy, and being effective. Being busy typically consists of trying to do a million tasks, while also becoming very distracted, and in the end getting nothing accomplished. Being effective however, means setting tasks, and executing them so they are no longer a burden.
Next time someone tries to pull the old “I don’t have time” card, enlighten them with this statistic: roughly 31% of employees spend at least one hour of their business day on social media. Could that one hour per day be used more effectively?
Daily Priority Lists Create Actions for Resolutions
To be effective and successfully accomplish your goals, create a priority list for each day. The list should be three to five important tasks that are going to move you towards reaching your goals. The purpose of the list is to do these priority tasks daily, until they become habits. At the end of each day, review your list, and if you accomplished your tasks, put a “W” for win. With each day, and each success, you will be closer to achieving your goals and closer to becoming an ADEPT leader.
– Paul
