Keeping Your New Year’s Resolutions

With just a few days left in 2012, the time to choose a New Year’s resolution is winding down. Whether you’re focused on sourcing better deals, being a better manager, or simply going to the gym more often, the decision is at hand.

But, picking a resolution is just the beginning. The real challenge is in turning today’s wishes into tomorrow’s behaviors. For most of us, our choice resolutions have a tendency of falling by the wayside come February… or, too often, January 2nd.

According to Peter Bregman, and his HBR Podcast, maintaining a resolution should not be so difficult. The problem lies in the scope of our goals, not in the execution. Rather than choosing bite-size, actionable behaviors, “we make resolutions on big things, things that we think will ultimately change our lives, things that are important to us and our big priorities.” These mega-resolutions are inevitably more than we can handle.

Thankfully, Bregman offers some strategies to help better select, and accomplish, New Year’s resolutions. Additionally, he helps demonstrate how maintaining a clear set of aspirations — in the form of a Six Box To Do List — can help improve communication around the priorities of managers and employees.

Listen to his podcast here.

Thanks to toolmantim for the photo.