In the next few days, many will start working on the dreaded “New Year’s Resolutions.” Statistically, the second Friday of a new year, (January 13th, 2023) is national quit day…the day when the vast majority have already given up and forgotten about those “resolutions” they made.

What’s the problem? Don’t most people really want to accomplish those goals or stick to the resolutions? I believe so. Then why don’t we stick with them?

The short answer: We don’t really know what a resolution is.

Often, we can look at the etymology of a word to find its true meaning. Resolution stems from two 14th-century words. 1) The Latin word resolutio, which is the process of reducing things into simpler forms and 2) resolvere, which is to loosen or let go.

In the 15th century, the word grew to mean a state of mind.

So, think about that, a resolution isn’t just adding a long list of phantom goals to post on Instagram, a true resolution means you must let go of some things, and break the others into simpler forms.

So how do we do this?

1. Let Go – we all have areas of our life that don’t serve us. Toxic relationships, perhaps a bad work environment, bad habits that prevent growth. The list goes on. To reach your pinnacle in 2023, you must first let go of those habits, traits, people, and situations. Even a rocket ship must let go of some of its parts to reach new levels, and so must you.

2. Break it Down – Big Goals are great but setting micro-goals that help you reach the big goal is a more effective manner of reaching the goal. If you have a financial goal, you don’t just hope that money comes on Dec 31, you must have benchmarks along the way. If you want to run a marathon, you shouldn’t just show up and run 26.2 miles (trust, me I did it, it’s a bad idea). You should get a training plan that allows you to ramp up your mileage and gauge your progress. By simplifying the process and breaking it into steps, it becomes manageable and achievable. Whether a mile or a marathon, you get there the same way…a step at a time. And such is life.

3. Develop a State of Mind – Goals are great, but becoming a person who, by your mentality and consistent action, reaches goals is better. Focus more on maximizing life, finding areas to grow, and staying progressive in all areas of life. What you’ll find is that not only do you hit your goals, but you do so in a fulfilled manner because it’s no longer about the “goal,” it’s about running your best race in life which always yields the best-case results.

Let’s attack 2023!