Alright…here we go! Commence with the New Year’s resolutions! This is going to be the year you stick with it and see your resolution through to completion, right?
Statistically, that won’t be the case for most of us.
According to data from the Statistic Brain Research Institute, only nine percent of Americans who make New Year’s resolutions feel they are successful in achieving their resolution. In fact, almost a third of us abandon our resolutions less than two weeks into January.
Why do so many of us fail with our resolutions?
Perhaps the answer to that questions lies in the answer to another question: Why are you making the resolution?
Are you doing it for yourself or are you doing it for your team? That simple shift in perspective can have a profound impact on your motivation and your success rate.
If your resolution is to lose weight, do it for your team. Understand that dropping a few pounds will allow you to feel better and be more energetic, which will improve the quality of the time you spend with your friends and family—your team.
It’s easy to quit on ourselves. It is much harder to quit on our teammates. We have an innate desire to not want to let down the people who depend on us.
I used the example of losing weight. I could have just as easily used quit smoking, learn a new skill, face a fear, etc. The same motivation of doing it for your team applies to all of them.
Ask yourself: How will this resolution benefit my team? And while you’re at it, incorporate these three “teammate” strategies into your approach for achieving your resolution:
- Tell your resolution to your teammates. If you are doing it for them, let them help you! Having a faithful teammate in your corner, encouraging you to forge ahead when your commitment starts to wain can make a big difference. The same is true for having a teammate in your corner who is willing to discourage you from making decisions that will take you in the wrong direction. But your teammates can’t help you achieve your resolution, if they don’t know about it.
- Post reminders of your resolution everywhere. Visual cues can be tremendously influential. Seeing a note posted on the refrigerator reminding you of your resolution to lose weight can prevent you from getting off track. It can also remind your teammates to help keep you on track.
- Set small incremental goals along the way—and then reward yourself by celebrating your victories. When you win, the team wins. Having your teammates involved in your celebration solidifies the resolution as a team endeavor. Few things are more fulfilling than celebrating a team victory with your teammates.
It’s good to set New Year’s resolutions. If you haven’t come up with one yet, here’s a worthy suggestion: Find a way to be a better teammate in 2018. The pursuit of that resolution will guarantee positive change in your life.
As always, remember: Good teammates care. Good teammates share. Good teammates listen. Go be a good teammate.
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