Are You in the 8% Club? 

Are you one of the 40-45% of Americans who starts the New Year with resolutions? January is the optimum month to move forward with new goals, develop positive habits and make significant changes, right? Here’s a more revealing question, would you like to be in the exclusive 8% who actually keep their New Year’s resolutions?

In your exuberance of possibilities of the New Year, the tendency is to think about a laundry list of everything we want to happen in 2018. That’s where the problems start. Look, you can’t make a million dollars, drop the weight, make friends with the gym, sleep more, meditate and get organized all in the first month of January!  Key in on your main goals or you will overwhelm yourself. Does the adage, “same old, same old” apply? It’s up to you to make this year different.

Various reports found that around the second week of January, our resolutions start to fizzle flatter than New Year’s Eve champagne. February rolls in and your enthusiasm rolls out. Next, your goals fall off your radar.

First tip, hit the reset button. Don’t give up. Or, you’ll find yourself in 2019 with the same list wondering, “What happened to 2018?” Oh, and forget what you’ve heard about 21 days to form a new habit. It is a myth. More about your habits later.

I’m going to share with you five of the principles of COBE, the Collaboration of Brilliant Entrepreneurs, Program. We launched COBE for high achievers who want more. These processes are your first steps to move into the 8% club this year.

1. Clarity is reality. COBE defines this as the “What” Factor. The more specific you are with what you want to accomplish, the clearer your vision. The broader strokes here, the less likely you are to focus on specifics. Entrepreneurs are idea people who often feel like they are all over the place.

2. The Why Factor. Ask yourself the “Why” questions: Why do you want to make more money? Why do you want more personal time? Why do you want to drop those extra pounds? Why is the purpose in our lives. For instance, if more personal time is a goal, is your why because you want to take better care of yourself this year, drink less, spend more time with your family, learn Italian, or travel. When you know your “Why”, you will more likely accomplish your goals. Go deep. You might discover several layers to one “Why.”

3. Discipline and Habits. If you want to make significant changes this year, it will take discipline to break sabotaging habits and form new achiever’s habits. Research dispels the 21-day myth. It takes between 66 and 254 days to take ownership of new habits. So, what’s the message? Don’t procrastinate, start now.

When Kobe Bryant retired from the Los Angeles Lakers, a reporter asked him if it was true that he was going to work out the next morning. He said, “Yes, I’m going to continue my same discipline as when I played. I’ve seen what happens if you don’t.” Once you start skipping, you say, “I’ll work out tomorrow,” and then the next day and then…you stop.

4. Tell people in your circle about your key goals. Your family, your friends, your partners, staff and clients. Verbalizing your goals reinforces your beliefs in yourself and your 2018 vision. Plus, there is an upside. People around you will want to support you.

Surround yourself with a peer group of achievers. At COBE, our group inspires each other in our quarterly meetings. If you are not around like-minded growth people, set up a weekly meeting with yourself to keep track of your progress or where you need help to grow this year.

5. Develop your personal mission statement. As we wrap up, I encourage you to take advantage of the excitement of the New Year. Time moves fast and there are no signs of slowing it down. One year blends into the next, limiting your progress and your potential. Some people move their same list from one year to the next. I’ll leave you with the Navy Seals mindset: All in all the time. That is what it takes.

To receive the complimentary COBE Growth Insights, click here to go to our sign-up page: https://goo.gl/WLVfti. Or, visit our website at www.COBECompany.com.