I have been writing about New Year resolutions for the last few years:

Resolve 2010
Accelerate 2011

The objective for this year is Breakthrough 2012.

Notice the progression?  With a little patience and forward progress the trend line can start to look positive.

If you are ‘resolutioning’ this weekend (and 44% of Americans will make resolutions) there are techniques to help improve goal setting and achievement (I share a few in the previous post/link).

I have also updated a few thoughts from 2010 to support resolution readiness and manifestation into meaningful outcomes:

Review:  Change requires an honest inspection and assessment.  What specific decisions lead to the destination?   As a leader/manager, individual contributor or in the personal life it helps to focus inward.  Take stock of the I that impacts the “we” or “they”.  Understanding where you’ve been is critical to help you get where you want to be going.  Look in the mirror.  Be honest with yourself. The critical component of a good resolution review and setting is accountability.

Reinvent:  This is a time for reinvention. Your company, your strategy, your brand and your career.  Transformation requires BIG ideas.  This is the exciting part.  Change.  Business models being ripped apart and reconstructed.  Customer expectations evolving.  Value propositions being reset.  The accelerated pace of transformation.  Information overload.  A global marketplace.  New skills and competency required to compete. Opportunity that is now a constant moving target.  Reinvention requires working a differently.  Welcome to The People Economy.

Reset:  What I like to refer to as adjusting to the new normal.  Constant change. Continuing education.  A climate that mandates authenticity and transparency to earn trust.   Bold Choices are required to simply stay even.   When you hit reset as an organization you need to have a clearly articulated strategy and core alignment around mission – vision – values.  These guiding principles create a culture of engagement, performance, accountability and trust.  When you hit reset as an individual it helps to begin with the end in mind.  What does success and happiness look like on December 31, 2012?  Decide today.

Relationships:  The most essential aspect to my own professional reinvention has been relationships.  A big part of my own resolution strategy is to do more relationship inventory and focus on respecting the important relationships I have.  I am fortunate to have developed a few new, meaningful relationships over the last 12 months. That is a gift.  I also had to make tough choices around relationships that needed to change or end.  You know when it isn’t working.  So did I.  Our natural tendency is to stay in them too long. We are all in the relationship business and surrounding yourself with the right people is the key ingredient to accelerating your success.  The right people hold you accountable and help propel you forward. With the right people you can thrive.

Resolve:  This is required for turning a resolution into reality.  The elevated sense of discipline and commitment required to see things through to the finish line.  It requires the understanding and acceptance that effort and results are two very different things.  It also mandates focus.  Deciding what not to do and where not to spend time are essential ingredients to staying the course. If you want to accomplish a BIG thing personally or professionally it requires alignment of a lot of little things along the way. By eliminating and avoiding unnecessary distractions you’ll be better positioned for success. Creating something new is hard work.

In the words of legendary football coach Vice Lombardi you have to “plan your work, and work your plan.”  Plans change.  The ability to adapt to new circumstances is essential.  The notion that plans can change and need to be flexible isn’t a good reason not to plan at all.

I hear and see the backlash around goals and resolutions. I get it.  After all it is so much easier to fear change, commit to nothing and simply stay the same.

I love resolutions.  The start of something new brings the hope of something great.

{BONUS: If your resolution is related to fitness or weight loss like most everyone else I know you might find these Top 12 Diet & Weight Loss Apps useful}

My favorite part about resolutioning is that I am solely responsible for making my own Breakthrough 2012 plan a reality.   I intend to have fun, be realistic and know I can count on a little help from the right people along the way.

Be Humble.  Stay Hungry.  Always Hustle.  Wishing you a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year!

Tags: 2012, Change, Goals, New Year, New Year's Resolutions, Performance

This entry was posted on Friday, December 30th, 2011 at 12:16 pm and is filed under Leadership, Performance, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.