The new year is around the corner. Every media will soon start covering the year gone by. You will again read top headlines across different genres- Politics, celebrity Bollywood, sports, natural disasters, scams, etc. While this outward view is a good exercise for general knowledge, there is another perspective that most of you will indulge in. The inward looks will help you evaluate how the year has been for you. And you get busy in deciding how the next year should be- by making your set of new year resolutions.
What was that you wanted to achieve? What have you achieved? Where did you not succeed? What have been the learnings? And that you will get when you try analysing the reasons for the success and the failure. This is the simple PaRAM ( pause, reflect, absorb and move on) mode of working, which should be practised throughout the year. But it’s okay; at least you do that.
The outcome of this exercise is the new set of New Year resolutions you will make. Knowing that, like every other year, most of them will not survive more than 2 weeks into the new year. But it is the new year, and the tradition and rituals demand you make a resolution.
MAKE A RESOLUTION, NOT TO MAKE A RESOLUTION THIS YEAR.
I know the above is a silly statement, but it is to catch your attention. Read on.
The moment you make a resolution based on your past experience with yourself, you give yourself a chance to break the resolution without any guilt. As everyone breaks a resolution, what’s the bi9g deal? So, this year I want you to make a small change. Maybe it works. Don’t make resolutions; decide with clear timelines and milestones. Rewards and penalties in case you fail to live up to your decisions. Because every day, and especially maybe the new year, is an opportunity for you to reflect and decide how the story of your life will now unfold, what the new chapters will be, past is anyway unchangeable. And you only decide what you become.
DECIDE- PLAN MILESTONES.
So first, stops using words like ‘TRY’ and ‘ATTEMPT’. These give you a small width to cheat to fail. Because you said you would try, two possibilities immodestly become possible. Resolutions are maybe, and if, decisions are final. And make them SMART decisions; Simple, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound.
For example, I will read 26 Non-fiction books this year. Then break it down into quarters. So, you say, by the first quarter, I will read 8 books, by quarter 2- 16 books, by quarter 3- 20 books (as quarter 3 will be sales work -pressure and many festivals) and by Quarter 4- 26 books. I can tell you it works as at peak, I was reading more than 70 books a year and uncaging them.
Another example could be I will finish writing the book by 15th September. Now finishing and writing are still vague. You could say I will finish my final self-edited draft of the manuscript by 15th September. Better still, by 15th September, I will hand over my final manuscript to a professional editor. This too, works- as I have been able to get five books published by now.
It could be as simple as, this year, I will (1) not miss the birthdays of my family members. (2) Take off on my spouse’s and my birthdays and anniversary. (3) Attend all PTA (4) Take the family on at least two -one week holiday.
MAKE YOUR DECISIONS PUBLIC.
Then take the biggest plunge- make the decisions public to the people who matter to you in life. The stakeholders of your lively ecosystem. Find a confidant who will help monitor your progress on the decisions taken. Make it relevant for the confidant to monitor. The confidant must also gain or lose something if there is success or failure.
NET NET- EXECUTION IS THE KEY.
No one has been appreciated for the intent; it is the visible results that matter. This is true for professional and personal life. And most of my readers would know this truth; in fact, they would have most likely read many books like ‘Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done’ by Charles Burck, Larry Bossidy, suggesting the power of execution but have failed to take it into practice.
This is the time to flip, change yourself from a resolution – intent – thought – plan person to the decisive action 0riented person- full of demonstrated intent. Maybe this is the slight nudge you need in your life, or this is the atomic habit change that may change your life perspective.
At worst, nothing will happen. Despite the plan, rewards, penalties and the confidant, your decisions will go the resolution way. So what? It is only a case of Status-co, with no change. Then you can always read this next year and be better prepared for the decision-making and implementation.
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