Your best intentions will fail unless you do this

Dr Mike is practicing what he preaches taking a well-earned break at the beach, with the team at The Breakthrough Company keeping things humming at HQ. So, it is with great pleasure that I’m guest blogging this missive.

Good intentions, we all have them. We begin the new year full of vim and vigour and a whole lot of resolutions to do things better, differently and with more conviction. But it is normally a matter of weeks (if not days) and we are right back to our habits of 2017.

We’re working too many hours, feeling stressed, eating the wrong things, skipping workouts, missing time with the kids, cancelling date nights, and so the cycle continues.

Why is it that we don’t stick to the resolutions that we make with such conviction on the eve of 2018?

Essentially it is because we have not clearly defined what our goal actually is and how we are going to achieve it. We have not formulated a plan and worked out a way to hold ourselves accountable to achieving the desired results.

Maybe you said you’re going to lose weight. You’re not alone - a report by the Ministry of Health in NZ said that in 2012 New Zealand adults ranked third highest out of 15 OECD countries for measures of obesity! Have you clearly defined how many kilograms, by when and how you’re going to do it? For example, you’ll go from 90kg to 80kg by 30th June. You’ll join a gym, sign up for 4 classes per week, schedule the classes to your calendar and pack your gym bag to put in the car before to leaving for work those days. You’ll find a healthy eating plan, share it with your family, explain what you’re trying to achieve and get their buy in and support, then stock the pantry with the right ingredients so that you can prepare the meals. You’ll find a support buddy who you can check in with on a weekly or monthly basis to keep you accountable. If people actually did this, we’d have a much healthier nation!

And what about your business? Each year after a good break, you come back energised thinking that this year is going to be better, this year is going to be different!

But is it really? Or are you going to fall into the same routines that you always do – chasing the urgent with no time to grow the business. The business drives you, you don’t drive the business.

Start 2018 by revisiting your strategy – get clarity and alignment on your vision, barriers, strategies and most important goals with your team. Commit to practicing the principles for success. Schedule your development day into your calendar. If you’re part of an action group or Co-lab group, commit and be present at each meeting.  Set a personal goal. Time and time again, we've seen our members who do this are happier and more successful in all areas of their lives, and their businesses!

We look forward to inspiring, educating and motivating you to make 2018 your best year yet – not only for yourself but for your family.

Best,

Nicky Luis

General Manager