Forget New Year's Resolutions, Make 52 New Week's Resolutions

Curt Rosengren

I'm not a big fan of New Year's resolutions. I love using the new year as a time for reflection and for looking ahead, but as a tool for meaningful change, New Year's resolutions stink. Roughly 90 percent of them fall flat, leaving a trail of failure and frustration in their wake.

I think it's time for a different spin. Instead of a grand commitment to change that loses steam by the end of January, make a commitment to constructing 52 New Week's Resolutions over the coming year.

New Year's resolutions fail because they subscribe to the push-button theory of change. We want to push a button and have it all be different. The reality, of course, is that change that sticks seldom happens that way. It's a progressive, iterative process. It happens over time.

Focusing on a week-by-week version of change is much more in alignment with how change actually unfolds. This process breaks change down into small, manageable chunks, giving you successive end goals that are well within sight. It builds on the success you've had, and allows you to quickly jump back on track when you wander off. And all of that increases the likelihood of a positive outcome.

After years as a professional malcontent, Curt Rosengren discovered the power of passion. As a speaker, author, and coach, Rosengren helps people create careers that energize and inspire them. His book, 101 Ways to Get Wild About Work, and his E-book, The Occupational Adventure Guide, offer people tools for turning dreams into reality. Rosengren's blog, the M.A.P. Maker, explores how to craft a life of meaning, abundance, and passion.

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