New Year’s Blues?
The Struggle is Real
I found out yesterday that January 19th is National Quitters Day – the day that most people give up on their new year’s resolutions. This data is brought to you by research conducted by Strava using over 800 million user-logged activities in 2019.
You’re going to hate me, but I have more bad news …
We all want to come out of the blocks swinging January 1st with new plans and goals, but according to Art Markman, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology and Marketing at the University of Texas at Austin, people can feel “bluesy” coming out of the holiday for several reasons:
- Too “in-touch” with what went wrong in 2019
- Poor social comparisons
- Unprepared to achieve a goal
Too In-Touch
I’m a huuuuuge fan of reflective thought, personal examination, and all things that get us deeper into core ideas that drive behavior. You may be carrying forward events and ideas that are getting in the way of starting your new pursuits. If so:
Action Step: Post your goals on a whiteboard and assess daily how you did to advance the goal. Even micro-steps toward your goal is progress. Own it.
Poor social comparisons
It took me too long, but I can finally admit that I’m not going to replace George Clooney. We all do it – it’s called upward social comparison. We all need people to look up to and even compete with in order to elevate our game, but how do we do it without falling into jealousy or envy?
Action Step: One thought is to have a stretch goal comparative [George Clooney] and someone who is currently in a similar space [The most interesting man in the World] ;). When we compare ourselves appropriately, it can actually be a highly motivating tool for growth.
Not prepared to Achieve
It’s not uncommon to figure out that goal setting needs to be specific. Lose ten pounds in 4 weeks, run 10 more miles in a week, etc. What causes some to fail is the lack of planning in two areas: [1] is putting it on their calendar in advance and [2] not considering if they have the actual skill needed to accomplish the goal.
Action Step: Once you have set a specific goal, assess where your skill level is. For example, you may want to deliver an inspirational message at your next big corporate event, but you may also have to hire someone who can quickly assess what you need to do it. Getting someone who is a few steps ahead of you will save you significant time to achieve your goal.
Let’s blow past January 19th together – no quitters allowed!