New Year’s Resolutions Framework
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
If you know me well, you know that I’m a proponent of making New Years Resolutions (NYRs) every year. I’ve made goals for every year since 2009. My framework for thinking about NYRs is as follows:
New Years Resolutions Guiding Principles:
Envision an entire year so that you proactively steer your life towards more fulfilling directions. NYRs are the antidote to “coasting.” The process of setting NYRs gives you purpose, motivation, and drive. It mitigates aimlessness. I often start drafting NYRs in October because I’m curious about what the next year will look like.
Systems are crucial but they don’t invoke enough change over time. Conversely, goals cause you to update your systems so that you don’t become over-routined, too comfortable, and coast.
The change of the year is a helpful heuristic for a change in your life. It’s small and subtle. But every time you write the date, it can serve as a reminder.
Aim to achieve 80% of your NYRs. If you achieve 100%, you aimed to low. If you achieve 50%, you shot too high. Also, you don’t have to rollover your unachieved goals from the previous year. You can, but you should feel free enough to leave them behind if they are no longer relevant, because life circumstances can change significantly in 365 days.
Create buckets. Buckets organize your goals into themes or groups of goals so that you can see the larger pillars of focus for the year. I usually make over 30 goals and place them into 3 or more buckets.
For example, my buckets and their success rates for 2023 were:
Thrive as a family of 5 - 50% success rate
Experience more than my bubble - 100% success rate
Local commitments - 66% success rate
Move finances forward - 33% success rate
Step it up at work - 80% success rate
Don’t get ugly - 60% success rate
Hobbies - 25% success rate
Average success rate: 59%
You’re probably noticing the low percentage success rate. I’m surprised at how many I missed this year. And maybe a little embarrassed. But I’m actually glad to see the raw calculation. It really symbolizes the year 2023 was. Let me explain.
In 2023, I learned 9 hard lessons about raising kids while building businesses at home. The main takeaway is that raising a family significantly constricts the time a founder (or any ambitious person) can give to ventures. There is a lot of sacrifice (far more for female founders) that slows down the speed at which an entrepreneur can go. Last year was the year this really set in.
That said, this chapter is not forever. Our kids are very young and these years are when they are the most physically needy. They require almost constant attention. I remind myself to not wish this time away, to enjoy it, and to make precious memories while ventures move slower.
