New Years resolutions rarely work, but audits do.
How I turn all that new years aspiration and leftover Christmas cookie/fudge/pie energy into better resolutions and real success each year.
Resolution: (1) a firm decision to do or not to do something. (2) the conclusion of a story, the climax of a narrative.
Every year, after living through one of the most glutinous times of the year, we all get reflective and set about deciding how we are going to make our lives fantastic in the next year. Mend every mistake, magically become everything we have ever wanted to be, concur the world, climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, perfect your fishing cast…wait, I think some of those are just me. But the point remains, this is the time of year many people wish for magical results, which is often a set up for great disappointment.
The hope and aspiration of the new year is a great thing. But hope is not a strategy. I learned a long time ago that it takes some real deliberate steps to turn that that hope into success.
Every year around this time my friends start bugging me to share my spreadsheets and process so this year I thought I would go ahead and spell the whole thing out publicly so all of you can enjoy it as well. I have also been planning to start a substack for a while so this seemed like the perfect, most on brand, way to do that. So let’s dive in…
Today is January 1 and you have already seen everyone’s year in review, favorite podcasts/books/movies/foods/workouts/etc and aspirations/resolutions/etc posts. You have also probably rolled your eyes at all of that because you are jaded by years of failed resolution making. There are some reasons those resolutions often fail, it’s because they are bad resolutions.
Here are a few aspects of bad resolutions:
Bad resolutions are based on wishful thinking, not real work. Think about it, most of the goals you have are created because you want something better, but if they haven’t happened yet, flipping to a new calendar isn’t going to make them magically start happening. It takes work and deliberate action to create change of any kind.
Bad resolutions are focused on outcomes not actions. We can only set resolutions about the things we have control of, our own actions. A successful plan for the new year should focus on the steps we are taking, not the things we want to see. We cannot resolve to make the year great, we can only resolve to take the necessary steps to do the things in our control to make the year great - sometimes shit is going to happen.
And yes, you should begin with the end in mind (more on that in a bit) but, as my therapist would say, you also have to start with your daily intentions. A resolution “get skinny” that isn’t combined with resolute, smart, informed actions is worthless.
Bad resolutions are vague or non measurable. Every single team member I have ever had worked with knows I want, no demand, measurable numbers and results for all client projects. While that makes me a pain of a boss (and some of you reading this are possibly having PTSD flashes right now, you know who you are and I love you) it is vital for any business plan’s success that you have obtainable, clear, measurable goals. Your life and 2022 deserves the same!
Bad resolutions are not based in honest assessment. We can all look at ourselves/lives and see where improvements need to be made, admit that not everything in the past year was great and aspire for more. But it takes real, honest assessment to own why some things turned out the way they did. Or to see what needs to change in order to reach success. Every new year’s plan must be rooted in honest, tough assessment to have any hope of reaching its goals.
With that context, about a decade ago I started conducting an annual review and resolution setting process. It is long, involved, and ever evolving process but aims to provide a successful blueprint for my year. After doing this for about decade I now have years of data (successful and “otherwise”) to use in my planning. I was first inspired by Chris Guillebeau’s new year’s audit plan and still use that as a basis for my work. I have followed his steps and added to them over the years. With this process in place I have been able to reach more of my goals and maintain a more honest understanding of myself and what I need to do in order to be successful.
So without further ado, here are the five steps I undertake at the change of each calendar year to set smart, successful resolutions.
Review
Audit/Assess
Aspire
Plan
Follow up!!!!
If you have stuck with me this long, below are details about how I conduct each of those steps, links to spreadsheets and even a few success/fail stories.
<pause> Here are some practical guidelines to note as you go through this:
Before going through this process you need to decide that you actually care. This isn’t about wishful thinking or lazy planning. This process is hard work. Your goals should take work, but the set up and planning to reach those goals takes work as well. Get your head into that space from the beginning.
You are going to need some tools. I know what helps me but everyone works a little differently so make your own adjustments. These are the four tools I utilize through this process:
Five section review Google document (or for you savages, a word doc) with all the notes outlined below in the review section. I treat this as For My Eyes Only and save each years review doc to a folder which gives me a long term perspective.
Chris Guillebeau’s audit template for the planning section. This is an incredible tool to set the milestones and measurement points for each of you goals.
Physical Bullet Journal to spell out the steps needed to accomplish my goals. Chris’ audit template sets the markers, but I use my planner/journal to track habits and conduct my daily business.
I use tons of incredible apps to help track my progress on stuff. Here are some favorites:
Calm - Guided meditation, sleep help, general mindfulness
AllTrails - Hiking is always a goal of mine so I use this app to track my progress and find new opportunities
Goodreads - Keep up with your book lists and set reading challenges. I love the ability to track progress in each book as I read through it.
Mint - Excellent tool to set financial goals and track financial goals. As our financial portfolio has grown we now pay people to manage much of our financial planning but I do still use this app to track personal spending habits.
</pause>
Review
They say hindsight is twenty twenty, that is normally used as a note of regret. A good review process turns that into an asset. This is your chance to look back on the last year and just start listing out what actually happened. To me this is one of the most fun parts of the process. Sure, not every element of review is fun and positive but there is something great about going back and owning every part of the year behind you. Think all the way back to the first day of the last year. What has happened since then?
Don’t make this part complicated, just honest. Note the major world events that probably impacted you. Note the couple times you broke down, no one else has to see this. Also dive a little deep into the feelings, what was good? Give yourself some credit for what worked. What was bad? Own mistakes, we all make them, they are just another part of the process.
Here are a few of the review elements I like to go through every year:
Metrics on my goals. If I made goals the year before and have been tracking them, this is where I not all those things. Sometimes I even add in some metrics. Given the chaos of this year I’m adding in the very successful metric of not getting arrested for 365 days or assaulting anyone. If you don’t have metrics, get excited, you will next year.
What happened around me. I normally write a hand full of paragraphs about what happened globally, in my business world, in the last year that, to me, is worth noting
Three times I “won.” By this I mean at least three times I can point back to and know I did something I’m proud of and happy to note. I promise, no matter how bad the year, those moments are there.
Three times I “failed.” These are the times I know I didn’t do what I should have. For me these have ranged from big missteps to just owning that there are goals I didn’t reach. Just own it and note it.
Three frustrations. These are the things I notice over the year that need to change or that I want to make better. I may not get the recognition for projects I’m working on or notice friendships that may not blossom quite as much as you would like.
Audit/Assess
This part is a little harder. I firmly believe that success at this stage is one of the most important parts of the entire process. Take all that data you just gathered and give your self some time to look at it and honestly assess it. This is the part where you dive into the “why.” What kept you from hitting metrics? Why did some things turn out well and some things turn out badly?
It is absolutely mandatory to clearly assess what happened in the last year if you want to find ways to make the next year different. Let me say that again.
It is absolutely mandatory to clearly assess what happened in the last year if you want to make the next year different.
You must own what you did well so you can build on it while likewise owning what didn’t go well so you can make adjustments. If the world turned upside down because of a plague, yeah, that is a thing you should note in the review process but this is the time where you have to get deep and understand how that actually impacted you.
Aspire
I’m not a total Type-A, OCD ogre. I do love dreaming big and aspiring to things you never thought you could do. If you really dove in and reviewed the last year then assessed the why of the last year, you will be overflowing with ideas and big plans.
Earlier I said that bad resolutions are based on outcomes not actions and noted I would come back to that. Here we are. Now that you have a more firm understanding of where you have been and your perimeters, it’s time to think about the big picture and set some pie in the sky goals. Trust me, I’m all for biting off more than you think you can chew and finding a way to make it happen. So look at where you were, own it, assess it and write down all the things you want to do next.
Plan
Now that you know where you are headed dive in to the plan! Look at your goals and walk back to where you are now. What are the steps you need to take to make those goals a reality. If you aspire to lose weight, and know that is going to come from working out, then look at your gym membership. Or will your weight loss goals only come from better dietary practices, what steps do you need to put in place to change those practices.
I do still use Guillebeau’s spreadsheet for this part. I love breaking my goals down into categories and setting the steps for each one. I find there is often between the overlap so it helps to look at everything in one place. For example, there are often costs involved with some practices (gym membership, etc) so build those into your financial goals make you more accountable across the board.
One great example from my own life was a time, many years ago when I noted, with great frustration that I was never taken seriously in meetings and alway treated as the young (I was) newbie (I wasn’t). While there were MANY factors that contributed to that, I noted which ones I could control and decided to make some changes to how I presented myself. I then worked back and made goals related to my wardrobe, hair, etc. I am terrible at painting my own nails but decided that I would take the example of an accomplished mentor and never walk into a meeting with unmanicured nails. That meant I needed to get a manicure ever two weeks. In my budget I calculated the cost for the entire year so I could see the full number and the cost per month. It was 1) freeing to know and accept the cost but 2) made me aware of my spending. I was still on a very fixed budget and didn’t have much room for extra spending, but with the context and bigger implications in mind, I had a much easier time saying no to a meal out or the extra cab ride (this was before Uber) because I knew it would cost me not the dollars, but the manicure, my presentation, confidence in those future work meetings. I got a promotion that year and I just reminded myself that I need to go get a manicure today!
In addition to a spreadsheet of goals and next steps, I try to go ahead and do practical things like put dates on calendars, set up doctors appointments, check in with financial planners, etc. There is a lot that goes into this which is why I give myself plenty of time, I actually treat the entire month of January as planning time.
Follow up
The most important part of this whole process is to build in follow up points. I calendar out at least three audit/review points for the year. This isn’t a casual time to update your lists, I like to take time to really sit back and assess where I am and what needs to improve/change to keep me on track towards my goals.
The most important part about doing follow up is realizing the plan will change. Often.
Regular reviews give you a chance to adjust and keep your goals in site and achievable. Say your 2020 plan was to make three international trips, and then in March the whole world shut down because of a global pandemic, that would require some significant changes and updates (speaking from experience). Or if that workout program you signed up for has just been a drag and you hate it, great, don’t wait for the end of the year to look back and assume defeat, make a change, come up with a new plan and give yourself a chance to succeed.
I often take focused time away for these follow up sessions, often an entire weekend. Given that, it is helpful to go ahead and book time off of work, or plan a mini retreat. Put that into your budget, and make it serious. These points of reflection are great for your mental health so enjoy them!
A thorough, honest review coupled with measurable goals and consistent follow up will make your resolutions successful. I hope this is helpful. Please consider subscribing and I will try to keep posting!