“If chasing a dream was easy, it would be called eating queso.” -Jon Acuff
“This year don’t set New Year’s Resolutions”
“Most people fail to achieve their New Year’s Resolutions”
“80% of New Year’s Resolutions fail by February”
These are just a few of the grim headlines that appear upon a quick Google search about New Year’s resolutions. While I can’t personally speak to the power, or lack thereof, of setting personal resolutions like working out everyday, eating healthier, and improving your relationships—as a person who’s business revolves around helping people achieve their business resolutions, I have some words.
November and December are my busiest months of the year for business.
Not January. Not Back-to-School. But the last two months of the year. I get flooded with so many client projects this time of year that I actually have to refuse work. Which I never do any other time of the year. And it isn’t Black Friday ads, or Christmas Sale flyers that bring in the work.
Nope.
It’s Logos, Branding Kits, Services Brochures, Social Media Planning, in other words…it’s business development. It’s meeting goals.
Most surveys on resolutions only follow progress through the first few months of the year.
The latest checkin I found on a credible survey was June. Those headlines up top condemning resolutions on the premises of validity and follow-through? They didn’t even come close to June. If people say they’ve failed on January 12th, they’re virtually marked off the list.
Maybe my clients are the exception, but I don’t think so. I feel it in myself too. The Fall and holiday seasons roll around, and I find myself looking back to my annual goals more often and with more vigor and motivation. I believe my clients new and old are doing the same. I’ve seen my clients accomplish incredible goals and embark on new endeavors in that final mile of the race.
It’s important to be realistic, sure.
I don’t know that it’s even possible to achieve a resolutions the starts with “never”, “always” or ends in “every day”. Even if my goal were to eat spinach everyday, it’s likely there would be at least one day that I had a stomach virus, the grocery store was out, or even several when I was visiting someone and didn’t feel comfortable imposing my dietary goals on them. But goals like “run a half marathon” or “eat healthier” or “invest in my business by doing x,y,z”—those resolutions, I stand by.
This study by YouGov Omnibus, while stating “One in Five Americans has stuck to their 2018 New Year’s Resolutions” fails to mention in the headline that they found a whopping 63% of those polled reported not making a resolution AT ALL. Of those who actually reported making resolutions, 48% reported “mostly” having kept their resolutions with 21% keeping it entirely. That’s 69%. 69% of people who made resolutions in that survey felt those resolutions pushed them to reach something, if not the entire goal. That number only dropped to 52% when they were questioned again on March 26th.
So, write it down.
I’m a big believer in paper and pen (odd given that my entire job is digital, I know). My husband tried for years to get me to convert to a digital calendar or planning system. And I just. can’t. do. it. There is just something about having a permanent record you can feel and touch and refer back to forever, barring fire and natural disasters. Maybe skip the everydays and always and nevers. But write something down this New Years. You never know how far it might push you. Or when.
-Krissy
