by Doug Sundheim, executive coach and co-author of “25 Best Time Management Tools and Techniques“
It will according to one expert. Every year about this time, millions of New Year’s resolutions are made.
People are going to lose weight, get in shape, learn a language or some other skill, spend more time relaxing, eat better, spend more time with their family, travel more, and in general improve their lives. And, as well-intentioned as these resolutions are, 30-60 days from now most of them will have fallen by the wayside.
The reason? Those making the resolution did a poor job of managing their time, ending up not being able to carry out any of their New Year’s Resolution effectively, ultimately short-changing themselves and their families, friends, and co-workers.
If you want to increase the success rate of your New Year’s Resolutions, here are three suggestions:
1. Prioritize what you want to accomplish.
It’s impossible to accomplish everything. If your list is too long you won’t accomplish any of it. Pick your top 1-3 goals and focus on those. Not only will those have a better chance of getting done, but once you’re on your way to accomplishing them, you can then move on to other goals on your list.
2. Reduce information overload.
When you have too much information coming in, your brain can’t handle it. You end up accomplishing little and wasting time managing it all. The antidote is to unsubscribe, toss out, pare down, and be very selective about the information you do allow to reach you.
3. Learn to say no.
Too many people say yes to everyone and end up with little or no time left to do what’s important to them. If you say no, you’re telling yourself and others what’s important to you. Not so oddly, that’s what you’ll end up getting done and getting done well.
Doug Sundheim is a consultant and executive coach and co-founder of Clarity Consulting. he holds a BS in Environmental Psychology from Cornell University and an MA in Adult Learning & Leadership from Columbia University.
