If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results, then why do we bother setting New Years resolutions (NYRs)? USA Today estimates that 80% of NYRs fail while Forbes magazine and New York Magazine both estimate a bleaker 92% failure rate within the calendar year. The failure is not only unsurprising, but is preventable!
Go past any health club or gym tomorrow and you will see the parking lot overflowing with cars foreign to such an establishment. With over 35,000 McDonald’s worldwide, any excuse to have more people at the gym is an excuse worth believing; however, I know that by the end of the month, the gym will return to its seldom-crowded state.
What can we do to fix this societal failure?
Humans seem to have a natural proclivity toward myopia, meaning we fail to consider the future. A great example of this is that the average American couple has less than $5,000 saved for retirement (MarketWatch). Our society preaches Carpe Diem, or “seize the day,” but we lack the maturity and responsible balance between Carpe Diem and Carpe Diem Cras, or “seize the day tomorrow.” By striking an adequate balance between today and metaphorical tomorrow, we can not only live in the moment, but ensure high levels of happiness in the future.
Successful saving for retirement is identical to success in our pathetic resolution report card. One does not save for retirement by saying “I am 60 years old and will save $100,000 this year for my retirement.” Such a statement is so far into the pit of insanity that we should scoff at its very existence. Yet, when we make resolutions we set these $100,000 goals.
I believe that there are three simple goal-setting techniques that can help to rapidly diminish the bleak failure rate of NYRs.
First, rather than setting lofty 2017 goals, we should set shorter time horizon goals. This technique will enable progress via the Goal Gradient Hypothesis, first published by Clark Hull. In 1932, Hull noted “…animals in traversing a maze will move at a progressively more rapid pace as the goal is approached.” The best summary of Hull’s paper I have ever read was published by Kivetz, Urminsky, and Zheng in 2006 with the simplistic wording: “…hungry rats run faster as they near cheese.” Thus, rather than create lofty goals of finding the cheese in December 2017, we need to find goals that we can achieve by January 8th, January 15th, January 22nd and so on. By setting the short goals, we will “run faster” at the end of each week to meet the goal; however, if we set the long-term goal, we will not run faster until around December 1st, and by that time, we may be too late.
I am a goal setting econ, or someone that abides by goal setting to fault. I break up my year into 3 trimesters: Winter/Spring (January-April), Summer (May-August), and Fall (September-December). This calendar system gives my three times the ability to reach the cheese than NYR setters. However, my goals are broken out into nearly a hundred sub-goals which I am striving toward. Read this book, or watch that movie, or try this restaurant, or lift that much weight etc. Therefore, I get to check off my goals with each completion of a book, each time I dine out, and every couple of workouts.
The second way we can achieve better goals is make them public. Post the goals in an easily-observed location. My goals are posted above my desk in my living room with big bold letters:
Goals September 1-December 31.
It is amazing how nosy my friends are when they see the lengthy list of goals for the short timeline and ask me how I chose the list, why I want to work on those goals, and my progress. I post my list in such an open area to encourage such nosiness. Admittedly, some weeks I fail at achieving any goals; therefore, when I fall off the wagon, it is always embarrassing to have to tell a friend that I am behind on my goals. Thus, the open-air goal posting helps keep me accountable and stay on track.
Lastly, make sure your goals are semi-fluid. What I mean to convey is that no one can perfectly plan a day. A knock on a door, a flat tire, or any other anomaly can drastically impact one’s productivity for at least a couple hours. Thus, allow your goals to change. For example, planning for four months of goals never works; however, I do not intend to achieve all of the goals. This past trimester, September 1-December 31, I listed 58 books I wanted to read: I read 9. However, I read an additional 30 that were not on my list. My major goal was to read…A TON. However, my 58 books listed were a mere guideline of achieving my major goal; therefore, when some book was published, or a friend wanted to discuss a book, or when I saw something that interested me, I didn’t default to my list of 58. Fluidity allows for goals to be completed via sub goal malleability.
Conclusion:
I entreat you to attempt a different goal completion approach:
- Set goals on a shorter timeline (monthly, weekly, quarterly, or in trimesters)
- Publish your goals in a public space that encourages conversation
- Allow fluidness in your goals; think about the larger goal and list a malleable set of sub goals.
I have a feeling you will be more successful.
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