New Year’s Resolutions: Love ‘em or Leave ‘em?
By Marsha Bailey, WEV Founder & CEO
The start of the New Year is the perfect time to think about setting goals for the year ahead. At least that’s what the 45% of Americans who usually make New Year’s resolutions think. The University of Scranton recently released some interesting statisticson what is, for some of us, an annual ritual.
In addition to the 45% of us who habitually make resolutions, 17% infrequently make them and 38% absolutely never make resolutions. So what is the outcome of those resolutions?
1) Only 8% of people are successful in achieving their resolution
2) 49% have infrequent success
3) 24% fail on their resolutions every year
4) BUT (and it’s a big but!) People who make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals than people who don’t.
What interests me most is number four. As with the lottery, you have to buy a ticket to win. If an interesting business idea has been rattling around in your brain, maybe 2014 is the year to find out if it has legs by signing up for a WEV class.
I confess, I’m an inveterate resolution-maker. I think there is much to be gained by reflecting on what’s really important to me each year. It helps me set priorities and even if I don’t achieve all my goals, I generally make progress towards them. And that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?
This year, my goal is to be among the 8%.
Share your resolutions with WEV! (Here’s some advice on how to keep them.)
2 Comments. Leave new
I don’t make resolutions, but rather come up with a theme word that will guide me through the year. This year, my word is “trust.”
I found that I was avoiding trying new things in my business due to fear of failure. I wanted a word that would represent the opposite of fear, and the word that came to me was trust.
I realized that if I put my heart and soul into my work, keep learning and growing, I can trust that I will be successful. Not every new thing will work, but I don’t have to fear that — just accept it and move on.
I am going to trust in the process, in people, in gratitude, in hard work, in mentors, in optimism and in my own abilities, knowledge and intuition.
A few of my resolutions:
1. Remain “zen” throughout what will be a very busy year for me.
2. Eat out less often, eat healthier, hydrate more.
3. Keep in better touch with friends and family that don’t live locally.