The Temptation of New Year Resolutions
A brand new year is almost here and slowly the daylight hours are beginning to lengthen again.
This is usually the time when we’re tempted to make some New Year’s Resolutions.
Have you made any yet?
Why Most Resolutions Don’t Last
What we know (and the statistics haven’t changed much over the years) is that by the end of January only about 10% of people are still sticking with them.
Most resolutions stagger on for a few weeks, make us feel mildly uncomfortable or quietly guilty and then fade away as routines and demands creep back in. It’s happened to me many times in the past and I’m guessing it probably has for you too.
When We Focus on What We Don’t Want
What’s interesting is the reason we make resolutions in the first place.
Usually it’s because there’s something in our work or our life that we genuinely want to change for the better.
And yet so many resolutions are framed around not doing something.
“I’m not going to get wound up when X doesn’t turn up to the meeting.”
“I’m not going to check emails on holiday.”
“I’m not going to let this bother me.”
The trouble is, when we focus on what we don’t want, our attention stays right there.
Instead of being drawn towards the benefits we’re hoping for, we end up wrestling with the very behaviour we’re trying to avoid.
It’s hardly surprising that so many resolutions quietly unravel!
So What Has This Got to Do With Leadership?
You might be wondering what any of this has to do with leadership or personal development.
But pause for a moment. How often do you decide that this year you’re going to do things differently? And how often do you simply hope things will improve without really changing how you’re approaching them?
Leadership, of ourselves as well as others, begins with intentional choices rather than wishful thinking.
From Resolutions to Real Solutions
The clue is hidden in the word resolution itself.
What if we dropped the “re” and focused on the solution instead?
Rather than revisiting the same promises year after year, what if you got genuinely clear about what you actually want?
Not what you want to stop doing but what you want more of.
Getting Clear on What You Actually Want
Imagine how your work or your life would look, sound and feel if that were already in place.
What would happen if you were to think less about what you might be giving up and more about what you’ll gain?
And here’s the bit that really matters: make sure it’s important to you.
Not because you think you should want it, or to impress anyone or because someone else expects it,
but because change tends to stick when it makes a meaningful difference to how you experience your day-to-day life.
Why Writing It Down Changes Everything
If you want to get more of what you want more easily the first step is often the one we skip.
It’s deciding specifically what we want and then writing it down.
There’s something powerful about giving your thinking physical form. Until you do, it remains a nice idea drifting past.
Writing it down anchors it and turns intention into something you can come back to.
Some Questions That Create Momentum
If you want different results, consider pausing for a while to reflect on the questions below.
I know that you’re probably going to say that you don’t have time to do it and that’s exactly why you need to!
Writing your responses down in a notebook can help you get greater, and often unexpected, clarity.
Consider :
- What do I most want to change?
- What do I want instead?
- What do I want specifically?
- How will I know I’ve got it?
- What will this allow me to do or experience?
- What’s the reason this matters to me?
- What difference will it make when I achieve it?
Accountability and the Quiet Shift Into Action
Simply sitting with these questions starts to shift how you think. And when you share your intentions with others, something else happens too — accountability appears, almost effortlessly.
That’s often where momentum really begins and where growth starts to feel less forced and more natural.
A Different Way to Step Into the Year Ahead
In the next post, I’ll explore how to get less of what you don’t want, without trying to force change, so this year can unfold very differently for you.
And if you’re feeling ready for some support to help you create that shift, you know where to find me.
Until next time
Cath
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