SCFO #001: Don't Let Your New Year’s Resolutions Fail.

Written By Matthew Chiappetta

Read Time: 3 Minutes

With every new year comes new resolutions for hundreds of millions of people.

But sadly, only 9% of people complete their resolution. [1]

Everyone sets their resolution with good intentions, but motivation quickly fades.

If you want to make 2023 your best year ever, the guide below will help you increase your goal success rate to a massive 76%. [1]

Unfortunately, most people quit their resolution by the 2nd Friday of the month because motivation quickly fades. [2]

But you don't have to be one of them.

You'll rarely achieve your goals without a process for achieving them.

Most people come up with an excellent new year's resolution but forget to do the following:

  • They don't crystallize that resolution into a clear goal.

  • They fail to write it down.

  • They don't find someone to hold them accountable.

  • They don't regularly share their progress.

I will share how to avoid letting your resolution fall flat in setting your goals for 2023.

Here's how step by step:

Step 1: Make your resolution actionable.

Most people start with a resolution resembling a broad-based theme.

While this is an excellent place to start, themes generally are not all that actionable.

Let me give you an example:

  • Resolution as a theme example: I want to be healthier in 2023.

Creating measurable goals is a crucial ingredient to success.

So let's try again by formulating that theme into a measurable goal:

  • Resolution/theme: I want to be healthier in 2023.

  • Goal: I will work out for 30 minutes 3 times per week this year.

Now, you're getting somewhere because the goal is specific, measurable, and actionable.

And achieving it will surely lead to better health in the new year.

Step 2: Write down your goal.

So many people never move their goals out of their heads and onto paper.

They set their resolution with good intentions, but it's quickly forgotten.

It's no wonder that so many resolutions tend to fail so quickly.

But writing down your goal massively improves your chance of success.

Why does writing help?

  • It helps you get more focused.

  • It motivates you to take action.

  • It ingrains your goal into memory.

Study after study shows that you remember things better when you write them down, so do just that.

Step 3: Find someone to hold you accountable.

Where there is no accountability, there will also be no responsibility.
- Sunday Adelaja

Don't try to do it alone.

Find someone you trust to hold you accountable. This can be a spouse, a friend, a mentor, a peer.

Hell, you can even publish your goals on social media.

Not having an accountability partner is a trap many fall into. Try not to do the same.

Step 4: Share your progress.

Congrats on making it this far!

You are on the verge of dramatically improving your life.

The last step is simply sharing your progress weekly with your accountability partner from Step 3.

Revisiting our example from Step 1, you might say:

  • I finished my 3rd workout this week and feel incredible.

To which your accountability partner will respond with:

Final Takeaway: T-W-A-S a successful year for all.

Use the simple acronym below for a quick reminder on how to improve your goal success rate to 76%:

  • T - is for Think: think about your goals.

  • W - is for Write: write them down.

  • A - is for Accountability: find an accountability partner

  • S - is for Share: share your progress

If you are falling short of your goal, keep this in the back of your head:

I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.
- Michael Jordan

Bonus Section: How to set your goals for 2023

If you don't yet have goals for 2023, but want to, here is a quick way to do just that.

  • Foresight: big goals - 1-3 specific, measurable, & actionable goals

  • Insight: theme (resolution): 1 theme for each category of life

  • Hindsight: anti-goals: 1-3 things to eliminate from your life

If you're having trouble starting, know that you can start from any of the 3 angles above (or use the method that works best for you).

Please don't forget to include personal goals. They're even more important than professional goals.

After all, everything good in life comes from happiness within.

Matthew Chiappetta
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