What happens when life gets in the way of your goals?
[Estimated reading time: 4 minutes, 12 seconds.]
However your 2023 went, Go Long is cheering for you to have a better 2024 - however you define that!
I read somewhere that roughly 1/3 of Americans set annual resolutions which coincide with the start of the calendar year. Here are some stats around people sticking with those goals:
Only 8% of Americans successfully achieve their resolutions, according to a University of Scranton study.
23% of people quit their resolutions by the end of the first week, and 43% quit by the end of January, as indicated by research cited in Lead Read Today.
A Forbes Health/One Poll survey in 2024 found that the average resolution lasts just 3.74 months.
So not great odds. But stay with me. The story can have a happy ending for you.
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Some specifics around why most people are not successful at achieving their goals
[With apologies to my Marketing friends for not adhering to the rule of 3s here.]
Ignoring the "Why": Without a clear understanding of the purpose and deeper motivation behind a resolution (other than “I need to lose 10 lbs.”), maintaining commitment gets tougher when challenges arise. Let’s face it. If “losing weight” was enough of a motivator, you wouldn’t see this as a top resolution year in and year out. You need something more.
Focusing Only on Goal Setting: People tend to set the goal, but not lay out actionable and achievable steps. This puts one in a position to hope that stars align in their favor when “life gets in the way”. Hope is not a strategy. Speaking of which….
Underestimating Obstacles: We often underestimate the challenges and temptations that will come up. Not planning for how to overcome them leads to discouragement and, ultimately, abandoning the resolution. A negative reinforcement cycle happens because you’re expecting perfection, as opposed to progress.
Lack of Habit Formation: Lasting change requires building new habits, which takes time and consistent effort. You have to be willing to put in the work while enduring the ups and downs that come with the territory. Many give up due to initial difficulties or missteps, forgetting that progress often takes longer than we expect.
Stress and Time Constraints: Stress and lack of time can make it difficult to stick to new routines or prioritize healthy habits. You have to carve out time that doesn’t exist. Finding ways to manage stress and create dedicated time for your goals is crucial.
Ready to hit the ‘PLAY’ button on getting a realistic plan for YOUR ‘24 goals?
How do you become one of the 8% who is successful?
Everyone has different constraints.
Step #1: Yes, document your goal(s). Make them specific. You can't hit what you can't see.
Step #2: Establish the right guardrails that allow you to stay on track when “life gets in the way”, such as a later than expected carpool pick-up.
Step #3: Be patient with yourself as you work to establish new habits. Some tactics you try will result in success. Others will not. It is just as important to know why something didn’t work as opposed to only focusing on what is working.
[Side note: Understanding what hasn’t worked for you is a key part of Go Long’s proprietary process with clients.]
Step #4: Create a repeatable approach that helps you move towards your goal(s). This is the biggest determinant of success rather than the creation of the goal itself! You don’t want to have to think. You just want to focus on executing your plan.
Step #5: Put yourself in a position to be successful. Remove any barrier that would cause you to hesitate. If you’re adjusting to working out early AF at 530am, this could include:
Laying out your clothes the night before
Keeping your alarm clock (or phone) far away from your bed - no snooze button
Knowing the workout you’re going to do ahead of time
Step #6: Identify the points of the day where you have more control over your time and activities to increase odds of staying on track. Box those times for you!
Step #7: Establish boundaries that allow you to have a plan for "real-life" situations like a meeting running late. This could look like packing a small cooler in your trunk of healthy snacks, such as turkey slices, yogurt and baby carrots.
Step #8: Focus on working within your guardrails that you've set up. That will lead to the outcomes you want.
Yes, this is a lot. But if you’re looking to make progress, this is what is involved. I know from personal experience. If it was easy, you would have already done it.
You’re different than the rest because you’re ready to do the work now
You don’t have to do it alone. At Go Long, we look at YOUR life, YOUR constraints and YOUR schedule to make pragmatic recommendations for YOU. It’s bespoke to YOU. Together we can look at:
Making improvements at the margins, which are more long-lasting.
Identifying areas that can be QUICK WINS for you to put in place.
Creating a realistic accountability plan that works for you, not someone else.
Your best friend may have the same goal, but may have different constraints to contend with. Let's get something for YOU!
Need help figuring out where you can make incremental improvements?
What are you doing each day or each week to inch closer to your goal?
Let’s make 2024 the year YOU want it to be.
Get in touch.
Go Long can help.