I'm not sure who came up with the idea of creating resolutions for the New Year, but I'm not a fan of the way we typically do it. Setting big goals on an annual basis is like trying to swallow a cake whole. It's appealing, but impossible. A-one-and-done approach implies that's all it takes to accomplish big goals when they are actually done in a long series of small steps. No wonder most New Year's resolutions end up bieng dropped like a polyester pantsuit.
So I submit to you a different approach: daily resolutions.
What if you woke up every morning and while you grabbed a cup of coffee or pumped the elliptical machine, you considered your resolutions for that day, breaking down your big goals into smaller ones? If you're really on top of your game, you might even do it the night before. Or the week before. (Show off!)
So instead of saying you'll lose twenty pounds this year, you might start the morning by committing to exercise before work and skip sodas that day. Instead of resolving to get a new job in 2018, you'd wake up and resolve to update your resume. Every day, choose one small step toward your big goal.
Think of it this way: New Year's resolutions are like saying you plan to drive from Los Angeles to New York. Daily resolutions are the details of how you'll do it. They're like saying you'll start out the first day by turning left on Main Street and driving four miles until you see the on-ramp for eastbound I-40. Daily resolutions allow you work on bite sized pieces instead of taking on the whole buffet.
So go ahead... set those high and lofty goals today. But don't stop there. Break it down. One step at a time. Let's go get those goals, Underdogs!
Wishing you an extraordinary New Year!