How to Keep New Year’s Resolutions. Guaranteed.

Over 10 years ago, one of the most monumental and important events of my life took place.  It was that event that has been responsible for nearly every goal and accomplishment in my life since…

At the time, I was frustrated at life and the lack of accomplishments I’d achieved.  It was New Year’s Eve.  That magical night when we all have the chance to leave the past behind and usher in our new ideal way of living in the New Year.

We’ve all had the resolutions to lose weight or to gain muscle, to have better relationships, to make more money or to work less.  This year was no different for me.

It was December 31, 1998, the winter of my senior year at Georgia Tech.  I was frustrated by the changes I knew I needed to make in the campus organization of which I was President, in my personal life and in my soon-to-be professional life with graduation looming in a few months with no plans for the future.

The frustrations mounted as the day went along until evening came.   I recognized the issues and was ready to make the change.

It was a beautiful winter night.  We were staying on the beach in Amelia Island, Florida, ready to see our Georgia Tech football team take on Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl the following day.  I decided to walk outside with a few sheets of paper to write down a couple of these things I wanted to change as New Year’s Resolutions.

With the bright stars up above and the warm, comforting sea-breeze blowing in, I walked out on the beach.  Kneeling down on the soft white sand, I stared at the moonlight glistening off the ocean waves as I listened to my favorite songs on my headphones.

The surroundings and my internal desire for change transformed my state of mind from one of negativity about the past to optimism about the future.  Each of the songs took on a new meaning – an inspirational meaning, and what transpired was well beyond writing down a few resolutions, but rather an inspirational conversation with God that redefined who I was.

One of the songs that played was Pearl Jam‘s Do the Evolution, and that’s exactly what this had become – an evolution to a new way of life.  What started as an idea to write down a couple things I wanted to change turned into filling these sheets of paper with a whole vision for my ideal life – the evolution had begun.  The notes became so powerful, it became a living and working document… A document that I called, “Do the Resolution,” naturally named after the influence of the song.

The vision I set that night became the blueprint for the next year.  It turned into an action plan that was made with passion and I vowed to take action to maximize performance.

Upon return from the beach, I shared the appropriate parts of the plan with my best friends, the Executive Committee of the professional organization, and established accountability to make sure the results took place.

So, were the goals reached by instituting this plan?  Remember those three areas I wanted to change: the professional organization, personal life and soon-to-be professional life:

The professional organization earned the campus-wide award for most outstanding organization on campus and best activity for the large event we put on.

In my personal life, I soon started dating the lovely lady that is now my wife and the mother of our two precious boys.

In my professional life, I found the ideal first career for me, bought a franchise and it became the #1 franchise in the United States before selling it.

…but most importantly, I built quality relationships and made a positive impact on the lives of others.  The people I interacted with, the executive committee and the members of the organization became my best friends.  Those I started working with are trusted friends and colleagues I still work with to this day.

That is why this single event had such a major impact on my life, but it did not end there.

When the next New Year came around, it was time to raise my standards even more.  The steps and the systems were still the same, but the goals changed as “Do the Resolution II” charted my course for the following year.

Over the years, the system continued to be refined and perfected as the annual tradition continued.  Responsible for nearly every goal and accomplishment in my life since its inception, these ‘Do the Resolution’ documents have stayed in my clear sight, decorating my bathroom mirror or office wall to keep me on the right path.

Over time, the goals have changed, but the same steps still applied:
1) Recognize the issues & be ready to change,
2) Get in the right state of mind,
3) Create the vision of the ideal future,
4) Make a plan with passion,
5) Take action to maximize performance,
6) Have accountability,
7) Reach goal and create sustainability

There is quite a bit that goes into each step – from the tricks to interrupt the pattern of behavior you want to change – to the planning process and spreadsheets to chart the future vision.

Now that I’m in a position through Path Insight to give back, that’s what I want to do, so we’re working on a program to give away the tools to get started in making the change.  We’re calling it our ‘Make It Stick’ Program.

Simply click here to enter your name and e-mail, and we’ll send you an e-mail with the tools and tricks just as soon as they are ready.  There’s no cost for the first steps and no obligation to buy anything, so just click here to sign up.  We’ll wrap up the program soon and you will be started on the path to keeping your resolutions.