Welcome 2024

As we begin a new year we often think about new year's resolutions and changes that we want to make like get back to the gym, deepen our relationships, build our business, etc. And yet research shows that only 9% of people complete their new years resolutions and in fact 43% quit them by the end of January?

Why is that resolutions don't stick? Well often we make goals at the beginning of the year because it is the end of something and we believe we need to start something new. And this presents challenges to completing our new year's rsolutions such as: 1) Often we can make goals that are too large. 2) Or we aren't really ready to implement the change. 3) Or finally we can't make that new habit stick. Let's talk about how to address each one if you really want to make a change in 2024.

First of all change is hard. If for example we have a resolution that is too large such as I want to expand my business by 10% in the first quarter, then we may procrastinate, feel overwhelmed, or just freeze out of fear. If we were able to break down the larger goal into bite size actions then we may feel more able to approach the change. For example reaching out to 5 new clients in the first month, expanding a social media presence by 5%, etc. By making these small changes they all lead to the ultimate goal of expanding my business by 10% in the first quarter but it wont' feel as overwhelming to take the steps.

For the second challenge of not really feeling ready for the change. We may need to psychologically prepare for a change to make it happen. I know for me personally I wanted to start the new year with a cleanse and take out gluten and dairy from my diet. I am already a vegetarian so thinking about this during the holidays felt overwhelming, but now at the start of the year I have mentally prepared and thought through it by finding ingredients at the grocery store and recipes to cook and am ready now to do it. Psychological readiness is a key indicator to making change.

Finally the last challenge is that it is hard to make habits stick. This is where the research by BJ Fogg about Tiny Habits is invaluable. He says that we need to break down habit changes into very tiny steps and then expanding from there (such as flossing one tooth or an action than can take less than 30 seconds) we can actually make progress. He outlines a 3 step process for habit change:

• Create an Anchor moment - An existing routine (like brushing your teeth)
• Develop New tiny behavior - A simple version of the new habit you want
• Instantly Celebrate - Something you do to create positive emotions

An Example recipe: After I brush my teeth, I will floss one tooth or After I get into bed at night, I will put my phone on do not disturb mode

So what challenge may be holding you back from making a change in 2024? How can you go about addressing that challenge?