It’s the end of January and just like that, 1/12 of the year is over. Sometimes the year just seems to “happen” to us, to just fly by out of our control. As true as this may seem, it’s important that we know that we are responsible for our own choices, the goals we make, and therefore much of the outcome of our lives. What we do today effects what tomorrow will look like. So, what about you? How are you doing so far on those 2012 goals or “resolutions” for your self and for your business? If you find yourself sinking lower in your chair with guilt, wait just a minute!
A recent study by Dr. Kelly McGonigal, Stanford University psychologist, suggests that we should actually “plan to fail.” In the study, a group of “aspiring exercisers” was asked to write down, every day, specific obstacles that they face while pursuing their goal of exercising and then come up with specific plans to avoid the obstacles. This simple daily exercise of self-awareness allowed them to double their exercise habits by the end of the study.
It’s important to imagine our future selves as successful and thriving in our professional and personal lives, but this vision may not be all that we need to produce steadfastness. We know that because we are human we are going to falter (this is why some of us are too discouraged to even create New Year’s resolutions in the first place), and yet, we don’t plan for our inevitable failings. We tend to pretend that we will just set about our goals perfectly from start to finish. No need for Plan B.
So, what about you? Have you stopped to think through what obstacles you will face (or maybe have already faced) in achieving your goals? Do you know what could distract you from achieving those goals? Do you have a plan in place for avoiding those distractions? If not, take the time to create a Plan B. Planning to fail is ultimately planning to succeed.