Last week, I looked at the motivation that’s needed to successfully pursue and achieve the many New Year’s resolutions that are made each year.
In part two of this piece, I’d like to turn to the subject of habits. Our habits, both productive and destructive, are often the issue in failing or succeeding. As you ponder your New Year’s resolutions this year, consider what habits you have formed that may substantially impede your efforts, and assess what habits you need to form or leverage to succeed.
Habits form through repeated action taken over the course of significant periods of time. Many experts agree that a habit can form in as little as 30 days of consistent repetition, but may also warn 90 days is a more reliable indicator of the time needed to develop a habit.
So, this year, as you contemplate your resolutions, consider that you should first assess if your motivation is sufficient for pursing your goal – to ensure the personal cost/benefit calculus that will occur naturally as you effort to reach your goal will not be an impediment. Second, consider what habits you must form (often in place of other already formed destructive habits) to create powerful ally in your pursuit of your goal. Next week, I’ll finish this conversation by discussing a third piece of this puzzle – powerful daily personal practices. In the following week, I’ll complete this article by discussing several useful processes in reassessing the value of your goals as a final check prior to goal selection.
