Topic of the Week

We have made it through the holidays.  The parties of new year’s eve are behind us.  The new year is out of the blocks, the race that is 2012 is underway.  If you look around you are likely to see a lot of plans for change.  Personal resolutions, new business goals, reorganizations, you name it there is an expectation that things are going to be bigger, better, faster, stronger.

Those of you who follow the Champion Performance Topic of the Week know that I am all for positive change and achieving the most from existing potential.  The mission statement for my company is “Partnering with successful, driven, high performers to achieve more from their potential”.  That is all about affecting positive change.  But at this time of year it is easy to become overwhelmed with too much of a good thing all at once.

How many aspects of your life are in flux right now?  Do you have personal resolutions that will be impacting your home life, free time, and will require emotional energy?  What about work?  Is there a reorganization or goal reprioritization or other change going on?  That is going to require emotional energy.  What about your partner?  What does he/she have going on?  His or her changes are also going to affect you.  Kids?  Friends? Extended family?  It is no wonder so many of us fail at our resolutions, everything is changing at once.

So before you get bogged down into a rut called “Life 2012″ which looks not so very different from “Life 2011″, take a look at how much change you are expecting or is being expected of you.  Decide which ones are the most important and lay out a timeline.  Don’t expect yourself to make a 100% change in everything by the end of January.  What if you committed to making 1/2 of a percent change on one thing every day?  That seems doable and over the course of the year, you will see progress in every area, rather than just the ones (usually work) that “scream” the loudest.

• Find a partner to create a 1/2% a day plan with and schedule 30 minutes a week to talk about how the process is working for each of you.  Where are you making progress? Where are things holding steady?  Where are they slipping backwards?  Accountability only works when the expectations are reasonable.  1/2% a day is reasonable.
• Do a quarterly assessment.  Mark your calendar now, April 1, August 1, and October 1.  Give yourself at least an hour to look at your 1/2% plan.  Reevaluate your goals.  Are they still valid for you?  Did you reach any?  Yay!  Pat yourself on the back.  Are there any that are stagnant? Why is that? Is it really the right goal for you? Does it need to be broken into smaller pieces?  Are the priorities the same as they were in January?

This time of year everyone is gung-ho with grand plans of new beginnings, turning over a new leaf and changing for the better.  To the point of it being overwhelming.  Do your best to not get caught up in the craziness of new year euphoria by giving yourself permission to work on one thing at a time half a percent at a time.

Here’s to a new year filled with great things achieved 1/2% at a time!

Do you have any changes you’d like to share or suggestions to help others achieve their goals?  Let us know in the comments!

Tags :1/2%, Champion Performance Development, change, Doc Robyn, keeping new year's resolutions, new year's resolutions, potential, reach your full potential, resolutions, Robyn Odegaard, too much change