BEST NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS OR NEW YEAR TASKS

BEST NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS OR NEW YEAR TASKS

❏ Today, I will discuss “Resolutions or Tasks: Which Should You Set?”

Today is January 1st, the first day of the start of a new year. Many of you are contemplating creating new “resolutions” for the New Year. Before you spend your time and energy on this annual rite of passage, allow me to ask you three questions.

1. What were your resolutions last year, and how many did you accomplish?
2. Can you even remember for sure what they were?
3. Were they the same resolutions that you set the year before last?

I’m betting on most of you; your answer to all three questions makes you feel a bit bummed out, right? Why?

Simple. None of us like to face our failures.

I have a solution that I promise you will change your life.

Don’t create resolutions; create tasks and track them!

“What?” Need to create resolutions and tasks for the same thing?

Good question. Let do a test and tell me what you think the difference is.

1. I want to lose 25 pounds.
2. I want to save $25K to buy a new car.
3. I want to find a new job.
4. I want to read more books this year.
5. I want to find a boyfriend/girlfriend.

These are common resolutions. Very few people ever achieve them.

Why?

Because they are resolutions and not tasks.

Allow me to show you some tasks, and you will begin to understand the differences.

1. Trash pickup is at 8 a.m. on Monday, so I have to put out the trash when I leave for work Monday at 7 a.m.
2. My algebra homework is due Friday morning, so I must finish it before bed at 10 a.m. on Thursday.
3. I’m out of milk, so I must stop by the grocery store on my way home from work tonight.
4. The grass is too tall, so I must mow the yard on Saturday at 10 a.m. before it gets too hot.
5. The prom is on Saturday, so I must rent my tuxedo two weeks before that date.

What is the critical difference you see between the resolution list and the task list? Look closely.

Tasks are commitments; resolutions are wishes.

Resolutions or tasks? All of the task functions have “calendar commitments.” All of the resolutions are what we call “open-ended.” I refer to resolutions as wishes.

Open-ended things are more like a wishlist. We wish for things to happen magically, but when there is no “gotta be done by date,” Things languish behind all the must-do tasks in our lives. They rarely get done. That’s why resolutions are wishlists under a different name.

But what if we really want to accomplish our resolutions this year? How would we change? You can start by turning them into tasks. Here’s how I would take the five resolutions above and “fix” them.

1. I will lose 0.5 pounds every calendar week by Sunday at 8 a.m. for the next 50 weeks. (Lose 25 pounds in 1 year.)
2. I will save $500 by Saturday 8 am each calendar week for the next 50 weeks. (Save $25K to buy a new car in one year.)
3. I will update or create my LinkedIn profile by January 2nd at noon, spend 30 minutes each day at 7 p.m. reviewing online job sites, and have at least one monthly interview by 5 p.m. on the last day of each month until I find a new job. (Find a new job.)
4. I will read one new book by 8 a.m. on the last day of each month for 12 new books this year. (to read more books this year)
5. I will contact my friends to let them know I’m looking to find a boyfriend or girlfriend, spend 30 minutes each Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. reviewing opportunities on dating sites, and go on at least one new date by Sunday midnight each week.  (Find a boyfriend or girlfriend.)

Do you see the difference? I’ll bet you do. So, how do you think you could implement this? It is easy, and you don’t have to spend a dime or buy any new software.

Take these five tasks, put them on your calendar software, and look at them daily!

That’s right. The calendar software that we use every day on our phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops

Open up Your Calendar Software

Open your calendar software for the first task on the first Sunday in January. Go to 8 a.m. and create a new event: Record Weigh-In: Task 0.5 pounds less than last Sunday. Look for the option to make this a repeating task. Please set it to repeat each Sunday with an end date of December 31st. Could you set a reminder for the day and time of the event? I recommend doing both an email alert and a pop-up alert. Now, weigh yourself and record your starting weight. Hit Save. Now, you’ve created a task, not a resolution. Every Sunday at eight a.m., you will be reminded of the task you set for yourself. I recommend you buy one of those electronic scales that saves the data to your phone and weigh yourself simultaneously every day. Yes, you will have some days where you won’t want to consider yourself some mornings because you went to a party the night before and overate, but weigh yourself anyway. Why? If you are like many of us, considering yourself on a day that you know your weight has gone up will psychologically get you to do the right things—eaters, exercise more—that and the next to get back on track.

Trust me. You are a thousand times more likely to accomplish the task of losing 0.5 pounds per week for 50 weeks, achieving a 25-pound weight loss by December 31st, than if you “resolve.”

Could you look at the image associated with this article? This is my Google Calendar. If you zoom in, you will see my calendar is filled with tasks. There are a few empty spots. These are my ‘breaks.’ Some people set each task as Pomodoro. I still need to be more specific. Click on Pomodoro to see what it’s all about, and if you want to try it, go for it!

Create Each Task

Now, could you create a task for each of the remaining tasks? Saving $500 each week is pretty simple. Most banks will now allow you to set up a separate savings account for free. Set up a recurring transfer from your checking account to the newly created Car Savings account. Set the transfer to occur each Saturday at 8 a.m. Now, on your calendar software, could you create a new weekly recurring event for Saturday at 8 a.m.? Set a reminder for 12 hours in advance—8 p.m. on Friday. This reminder will allow you to check your checking account balance 12 hours in advance to ensure you have the funds. If you don’t, you can transfer funds from another account or delay or cancel the transfer for this week if needed.

Rinse, Wash and Repeat

Now, could you take similar steps with the remaining three tasks, and you’ll be done with this example?

Time to Set Your Own Tasks for the New Year!

Now it is time for you to select your tasks for the new year and put them in as recurring tasks for you to achieve yourself, but be realistic.

If you are 150 pounds overweight, keep each weekly task to 0.5 pounds per week. Please consult your physician and have them guide you to the right weekly weight loss target for you and your situation.

Set a realistic weekly savings goal if you need a new car or a new washer and dryer. I recommend you target saving the amount you need in no less than six months and no more than one year. Divide your gross annual salary by 52 (i.e., $100K/52 equals approximately $2000 saved per week). This puts you saving 10% of your gross income, or roughly 15%–50% more taxes, for your must-have thing. That’s a significant amount to save for most of us. You’ll have to cut back on those eating-out nights, daily lattes, and movie nights to make it happen.

The important message to remember from this article is that if you make what you want a “task” and not a “resolution,” you are much more likely to see it accomplished.

My Tasks for the New Year!

I believe in “eating your dog’s food.” For those unfamiliar with that phrase, it means that anything you teach or sell to anyone who listens to you, you must use or practice yourself. You can’t be believable when you say BMW cars are lovely if you drive a Mercedes. So here are my “tasks” for the New Year.

1. Write and post at least one blog post every day for the next 365 days before I go to bed each day. (365 posts—this is #1 on January 1st.)
2. Start and finish at least one new book before I go to bed every Sunday (52 total). The first book is “Made to Stick” by Chip Heath (updated).
3. Create at least one free website each week (52 total) for someone who needs a little help getting a new source of income before I go to bed every Sunday.
4. Write and publish one new book by the end of each month. Continue my weight loss of 0.3 pounds per week and get to my goal of 172 pounds by December 31 (Current Record: Day 1 = 231.7 | Day 204 = 194.5)

Conclusion – Resolutions or Tasks?

OK, that’s it for this post. If you have questions, feel free to reach out. I’m here to help.

I hope I have educated you on Resolutions or Tasks: Which Should You Set? Now that you understand the difference, I hope you follow this best practice of mine and incorporate it into your workday and life. I’ve used my calendar and tasks for many years, and my productivity and overall sense of accomplishment have soared. Please join me today!