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I'm not a big fan of New Year's resolutions… and if they haven't worked for you in the past, then they're not going to work this year. Here's something that works a lot better…

Let me know what you think… what habit or ritual can you put in place that will pull you towards your goals this year? Please leave a comment below (and please like my Facebook page here.)

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98 Replies to “Why New Years Resolutions Suck (and What To Do About It)”

  1. I’ve always said “New Years Solutions” and dropped the “re” which kind of just implies you are redoing it over and over again, hence why it’s probably not working.

    Now I’m going to set a goal to learn how to do a snow dance because we’re not getting any over here. 🙂

    • @jmo: come to Colorado… we’re having a great snow year so far (although it looks like we’re about a week away from getting any fresh).

  2. I love this video Jeff.

    This year is all about ritual for me as well. The habit I am embracing is the habit of praxis, or being in alignment with my own teaching. aka… Praxis what I Preach. It is a very spiritual practice of being who I am becoming. The very first habit I practice is ‘experiencing Grace’ before my feet hit the ground in the morning taking a moment to allow myself to really feel the ease of life enter my skin. What I’m adding to that practice is the 16 oz of water first thing in the morning (Thanks for the inspiration!) There are many more practices that I intend to make habits this year in all the areas of my life. Last year was all about family and building a strong support system within so everyone can benefit. This year is about nurturing my business in the same way.

    It is good to remember that it takes practice before it becomes a habit.

    Happy New Year.

  3. Good stuff, Jeff!
    Janet Atwood did a launch last year about ritual and its importance historically, personally and ultimately planetarily. You might want to check it out.

    On another note, I’m really impressed with your ability to hold your phone in position so steadily and long!

    Happy 2014!

  4. “Resist” and “Resolve” do have similar beginnings but resolving to me also causes me to think that I will Re-Solve or look for New Solutions to existing challenges.

    I’m less a fan of “goals” than I am of “Targets.” Over time, and with consistent practice, it’s easier, at least for me, to think of honing my skills to hit the target with increasing accuracy. It’s merely my perspective but it helps me to focus my attention on “hitting the mark” as opposed to “missing the mark” (aka “sin” from old French). 😉

    I also have a quirky resistance to the word “deadline.” I seem to prefer “completion date” or “due date.” Changing my vocabulary reduces my resistance to taking action — and that’s a good thing.

    Success can be habit-forming. Rituals can be rich. (I’m a 16 oz. water guy too). Love the focus days and the 50-minute timed sessions.

    What do you think?

    • @Dr. Vogelmann: I think it’s important for us to know ourselves… and there is no one-size-fits-all solution that works for everyone. It sounds like you’ve done a lot of work around this and thought about it a lot – and you know what works for you. The distinction between “targets” and “goals” is an interesting one, I’ll have to think about that one…

  5. I don’t set resolutions or goals. Because when I do, 80% of the time I never get them done.

    I only think of how I can adopt and whether I have passion to do what it takes to fulfil what I set out to do.

    One word.

    Your video further reinforces my belief in that.

    If you can’t adopt nor have passion to do what it takes to fulfil what you set out to do into your daily habits, it’s impossible to accomplish your goals.

    That’s why New Year Resolutions suck and I completely agree with you.

    Habits.

    What you do not just before New Year.

    But EVERY SINGLE DAY until the next New Year comes round.

  6. If you don’t mind Jeff, I’m going to embed this video into the January issue of my newsletter. It explains exactly what I keep telling my list, set specific goals, then find the steps between where you are, and those goals. Take each step.

  7. Nice Jeff! I always thought this same way. And i found this new perspective from Chris Brogan, where he chooses a big vision for the year and 3 words that represent it. Well, I just think that this perspective might contribute to you all. Happy new year Jeff!

  8. Jeff yes, habits are so SIMPLE yet HUGELY POWERFUL! Much more so than those pie in the sky resolutions we all are told to make this time of year.

    Here’s a great book on the topic called the Power of Habit.
    (affiliate link buys me a stick of bubble gum, maybe)

    Also, a series of YouTube videos that summarize the book. Check out this one on Keystone Habits:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPTtrs_dz8k&list=PLECCE8D709FD777FB&index=7

    Best wishes to you and all my fellow PLFers. Happy New Year!

    EDITOR’S NOTE: thanks for your comment, but no affiliate links allowed… it’s a slippery slope. 🙂

  9. I’m going through Chalene Johnson’s 30 Day Challenge (again) to build goal setting and to do lists (ie follow through) into my life. I like your morning ritual, Jeff. Very little change to make mine similar: up early to exercise, breakfast during or right after which I make my list for the day, then begin. I think what I’d like to do, based on the last 30 days, is make that, exercise breakfast, work on project for 50 minutes, break, work on project or related task (clearing, organizing, brainstorming…), THEN make to do’s for the rest of the day. If other morning appointment take priority (dr, etc) then do this after lunch.

  10. Jeff, this is a wonderful video. I’m so glad I was introduced to your content last year.

    My main habit that I want to change right now is getting up early in the mornings. I know that will have a positive affect in everything else.

  11. Hey Jeff,

    Someone in PLF 4 has asked you this same thing, and you’ve shared the thing about the morning ritual and meditation. I’m really glad you put all this again out there, because I now have the opportunity to share something that’s been working for me in a really big way for the past 5 years, that I wished I could have shared with the rest of the PLF Owners:

    I keep a special notebook and my favorite pen right near my bed… And I start off every morning, by writing out 7-8 of my “big life goals” on the paper, physically with my hands. Every day it’s the same stuff – I have this nice little paper, where the goals are printed out, and I just copy them over. Sometimes they evolve, become more accurate or just obsolete – and then I print an updated version of the little piece paper again.

    I’m not sure if it works for everyone but we all know how you just need to do something for 21 days consistently and then it becomes a habit.

    Anyway, if someone gets used to this particular habit, be prepared: Life works in a way that you get what you ask for. Exactly, specifically what you ask for.

    Some of the goals that became really a part of my life, and the way that I make my decisions consistently are:

    – I’m always at the exact place, at the exact time where it’s the best for me, with whoever is the best for me.

    – I express my emotions to the people around me and my gratitude to God every day.

    – I attract a peaceful and happy life, with peaceful and happy people – and live in great health at least until the age of 95. 🙂

    I just thought I’d share this because it’s been big for me, a very important part of my life.

    I’m grateful for having You in my life, Jeff, and I wish you a Happy And Successful New Year! 🙂

    Warm regards,

    -Ben Racz

  12. Jeff,

    Awesome video, I totally agree with you I think New Year resolutions aren’t that effective. As far as rituals, I was given the Book “Living a Life of Awareness” By Don Miguel Ruiz Jr. as a Christmas gift. It’s a guide for daily mediation, it’s provided so much value and clarity by meditating and starting my day with intention. There are other rituals that am working on but this one has been the true catalyst for solidifying my other rituals that I will be incorporating from here on out.

    Thanks for what you’ve done, and continue to do my friend.

    All the best,

    Luis Rosario

  13. Well Jeff Walker, you’ve really pushed my button! I have been procrastinating on several fronts over the past year. I did get my blog up and running, after thinking about it for more than a year. I finally took the plunge and created it. But now I need to grab hold of your idea and create the regular morning habit/ritual of writing content for the blog. Fifty minute periods of writing, maybe two of them, will keep fresh new content coming out to have continuing and interesting comments on my blog. Without that, it’s going nowhere. Also, I will start logging one hour of exercise at the local gym before noon at least three days each week. If these sound like New Year’s resolutions, they aren’t. They are new action habits I will begin at dawn tomorrow. And if you think for a moment that we can’t teach an old man new tricks, then watch me latch on to these two new habits in the morning. Thanks for the shove, Jeff. I needed it.

  14. Happy New Year Jeff! Love the idea of rituals and really getting focused on one habit to develop in the year ahead. For me it is to get organized with systems throughout my business starting with our Customer Management System. Purchased the software in December and now in January we will implement! Here’s to a great 2014!

  15. Instead of “This year I will ______________”, I like to make it more realistic and doable. So I have changed it to, “Today I will ________________.” Doing things today, in my view, is where success is found. Today is the only day there is. So we must focus on what we can do today that moves us toward our goals. I spend 10 minutes at the beginning of the day to figure out the one thing I need to do Today.

  16. Philip Donovan

    Reply

    Hi Jeff, great points as usual. Thank you!
    I have a product I’ve created, a great partner to work with and above all else, am looking for a ground means of keeping this moving forward without interruption. As an ADDish kind of guy, I’m filled with great inspiration, new ideas for refinement and improvement, content creation but, its making each day count toward the launch of this product that I struggle with. So much distraction to take away focus and inertia. This is one reason for bringing on the partner. I often speak of the advise and recommendations that come through your videos. Perhaps one of our topics can be how we may set some habits and rituals of our own to keep a consistency toward our goals. I’m just a starter so these concepts are very important. Thank you Jeff, I always appreciate your words.

  17. Hello Jeff, thanks for this video.I did enjoy it!
    May i wish you an Happy New Year for you and your family! This is a ritual i like too!
    Just a ritual of love and friendship, a moment of the year when all people of the world like to communicate and speak from the heart. A great moment of communication :-))

  18. Jeff: I love your idea of a ritual, where once you’ve completed it, you’ve “won for the day”. There is power in declaring yourself a daily winner! I actually used this technique when I was very sick. If I got out of bed and did my morning ritual and then did something that was life affirming for me – such as being outside in my wonderful yard – it was a win. And it literally saved my life.

    Now I move on to the next chapter – which is traveling to Jordan to work on an aid project this fall. I have to make stuff fun, even “silly” to motivate me. So I too use the early morning hours to take care of myself personally (get dressed, brush, wash, etc), drink a lot of water, ride my stationary bike for 15 minutes to get revved up. While I’m doing that, I’m repeating (fairly inane) pieces of Arabic that I’m learning for my trip. Yes, I’m sitting there saying things like “How are you this morning? Are you from Tunisia? No, I’m from Syria. Would you like something to eat? I would like tea, please.” and on and on. Somehow the rhythm of the cycling helps imbed the rhythm of the language in my brain. Silly, fun and I look forward to doing it!

  19. Love your video and I am trying to get all of the material I have learned in the past few weeks into action. The link above is my start and I have not created a full website yet.

  20. On January 1 each year I print out my mantra for the year and tape it to my bedroom wall so I see it first thing every morning. The sign this year says “2014. Lithe – Lean ON SCREEN.”
    The goal is to launch two 6 week wellness-joy membership sites. My overarching life statement that I also see every morning from year to year is “The Divine dances as a vibrant longevity health and fitness leader in me.”

  21. My new habit will be to pay WAY more attention to the Law of Attraction: stay positive, be grateful, seek the joy.

  22. Yes! Not willing ourselves to modify behaviors, not dragging ourselves against life according to some notion of a resolution, but taking actual steps toward specific goals that we can feel, and adjust as we go. Thanks, Jeff!

  23. Hi Jeff,
    I am in Toronto watching the leafs and red wings NHL outdoor classic in Michigan…it’s snowing like hell there so they keep shovelling the ice…could be a long game.
    I saw your email come thru and I love getting your videos so had a peek. What a great and timely message. I too have created many of the same rituals as you but I need to get better at blocking that “focus” time. Setting un-negotiable time each day. And I agree..forever people have been making these resolutions and forever they haven’t kept them. It’s time to look at it differently. I am going to spread this approach in my next digital magazine issue.
    Looking forward to learning from you again this year and thank you for the incredible insight and training you provide.
    Cheers, Brent

  24. Straight to the point! I laugh at New Year Resolutions. When yesterday it was 2013, and you couldn’t get nothing accomplished. 24 hours later, you are vowing to change your life, without installing the proper habits. I do daily adjustments.
    For example, I had to figure out why I was procrastinating on building my business. It was a side of me who adore the feeling of procrastinating. My daily adjustments took place inside of my head. Why do I procrastinate? It’s a part of me that like it. But, there is a side of me that if getting frustrated with the results. What activity is pulling me into procrastination. Just say its the television. Before I leave for work, I would unplug it, and over it up. Make a mental note of what I need to do when I get back home. When I come into the house…. out of habit I might plop down and grab the remote. The trap is set, the television is covered, and unplugged. Now my left and right hemisphere of my brain get into an argument. I’m too tired to uncover the television, and to plug it back up. This technique worked! Try it on anything.
    You want to lose weight. Put framework around how you are gaining weight, and undo the process. I should sell this information, but see how Jeff Walker community over deliver. Happy New Year!!!!!!

  25. Stewart Kelly

    Reply

    Hey Jeff, Happy new year! My new year’s resolution is to never make resolutions. I decided making decisions is a wiser choice.

  26. Ortwin Klose

    Reply

    Happy New Year, and thank you, Jeff! Your point regarding rituals instead of resolutions is pure gold! I will restart the focused work-sessions you mentioned (it worked well for me in college and I should have continued the habit!). I will also develop a better sleep ritual. Mental and physical processes suffer due to lack of sleep, and deficiencies in these areas will prevent/hinder my success. Diet and exercise are not enough! All the best to you and your family in 2014! 🙂

  27. What a wonderful post to start the New Year, Jeff.

    My takeaways included how important it is to not only set big goals, but to train yourself to “chunk it down” to rituals and habits that become part of your DNA–and which are all consistent with your bigger goals.

    I also heard something today that resonated with me on this topic:

    “Pick a word for the year”…something that you want to live into and has nothing to do with losing 10 pounds, making $1 million etc.

    Last year my word was “Grateful”…and everything I did during the year had that word as an umbrella over it…

    This year it’s “Contribution”

    And I continue to be grateful to you for all the contributions you make to the world!

    Here’s to an amazing 2014 to all!

  28. I agree with your feeling about how typical New Year’s Resolutions have a heavy feel to them. . . a sense of judgment that you’re not okay and you’d better get serious about changing that.

    But I suddenly had an aha that changes that entire energy for me. In music, the term “resolution” is when a chord that sounds and feels discordant shifts into a harmony that feels good and right and let’s you go, “ahhh.”

    If we thought of New Year’s Resolutions as a way to shift from the discomfort of struggling against ourselves into harmony with our own highest good, it would feel totally different.

  29. Hi Jeff, that is really a great stuff.
    Jeff I’m from Brasil and I’m just teching people here about
    this thing and the results are really really great. Thank Jeff,
    this is really a great stuff to share, this really can change lives.
    God bless you!

  30. Great video Jeff!

    One habit that I’ve created that has transformed my personal and my business life is doing the most meaningful task for the day first thing in the morning. I usually have 2, one that is going to get my closer to a short term goal and one that is going to get my closer to a long term go.

    I do those two task first thing when I start my day. Before I check emails, get sucked into other people’s agendas, I know I’ve taken care of that is going to have the most impact for me and my business.

  31. @ Jason: You can have some of our snow. 😀

    Jeff, I came to the same realization independently a couple of weeks ago. I have a few habits that I am going to build on over the next couple of months, and a tracking system I set up on Monday already in place. My target habits to start with are checking my finanical situation every day, eat at home every day (with exceptions perscribed by definite rules), writing every day (even if it’s just one sentence), practicing scales on my viola every day, and doing 15 minutes of cleaning/decluttering. Short enough so that I can have them all done by 10 in the morning, but powerful enough to actually change my life for the better and get it heading in the direction I want. Once I get those going, I’m going to add a simple yoga routine to the mix (I already walk six days per week, so exercise is already covered.)

    I’ve had much more success in the past with changing specific habits than I have had with goals and resolutions. It’s not that I don’t have goals, but I now realize that the way to reach my goals is to determine what habits I need to learn in order to travel towards them.

  32. Jeff;
    I appreciate your integrity. At a time when internet marketers are in for the “thrill of the kill” and seem to over promise and under deliver, you offer an alternative that is long term relationship based. On behalf of business owners, like me, who have a bricks and mortar business we truly appreciate that. Continued good luck for the New Year!

  33. Jeff, I love what you say about creating habits! I just about finished with my 21-day daily videos to my master mind buddies. Oh boy that changed things. Today at day 20, I was so confident at doing videos on my iphone, that I promised to do weekly live webinars until March. This is me, a camera shy girl who worked for more than a year to get in-front of a video camera. Celebrate the ritual!

  34. Very timely post.

    A non work related habit that I will start on.. . spend 30 minutes two times a week learning a new song or new techniques on the guitar.

    I look forward to catching up in a few weeks time.

  35. Precious Ginika

    Reply

    Jeff I really love this video. I want to publish my first book this March, so I am going to start right away by writing even if it’s one sentence every night before I sleep.

  36. We are malleable and can change ourselves into people who accomplish our goals as we work toward our goals. Rituals can help us do this but we must also want to change and give ourselves permission to change.

    From what you’ve told us about your life, Jeff, you’ve done this. I’ve been working on it a long time and plan to continue as I “live in great health at least until the age of 95”—see you there, Ben Racz! 🙂

  37. Jeff,
    the stimulation you bring to your community with your heartfelt commentary, and their genuine posts back to you…. golden!!!! truly inspiring!
    may your light continue to burn bright & inspire~.
    Wishing you a Healthy & Happy New year!
    Breathing all this inspiration in…. WOW!
    you all rock! ~ Rena :-))

  38. Hello Jeff,

    The ritual I’m creating is two-fold; first, take each morning for studying both my writing craft and self-determination, and secondly, using the afternoon for writing projects in small chunks.

    By taking an hour or so each day to focus on each task or passion, I create more each day, enhance more each day, all of which results in more self-satisfaction and ultimately more gratification.

  39. I like the idea of rituals and will designate the focus times as suggested. I have two jobs plus the business so times vs days are the best for me. I am writing a book so the focus times will involve that goal! Thank you–this video is terrific. S

  40. Hi Jeff, thanks so much for this timely video. I was just writing out the areas in my life that I need to develop more Self – discipline; so your word habits resonated with me.

    My goal is to change or improve every aspect of my life; since I have many bad habit to replace.

    I have set short targets to reach my broad goal and have found that most highly successful people get up 2 hours before they need to get to work, hydrate, exercise, shower, eat a great breakfast, read something spiritual for about an hour and focus really well on their current job task at work. I plan on following these habits of successful people.

    I also plan on stretching or walking for 5-10 every 50 min while at work; and I plan on getting in bed by 10pm every night to get my 8 hours of rest.

    Thank you so much for your continued great content!!! : )

  41. I’m not giving up on Resolutions, so…

    I resolve today to imbed a set of rituals to target my goals in 2014.

  42. Hey, Jeff. Thoroughly enjoyed your video. Very good information.

    Every video you turn out makes me stop and think—and this video was no different. It caused me to think about what I plan and need to do different for 2014.

    One goal I need to work on is to lose more weight than I have already accomplished; I have to admit, becoming physically skinnier is feeling weird, but good.

    Also to make myself a better person, in areas where I need improvement.

    To make my home centered business work better; to make it more profitable than what it has been—which hasn‘t been very much actually. Plus an internet outlet I am going to delve into learning more about, though I have been avoiding it for five years now—referring to eBay.

    Rewriting my blog, turning it into guidelines of how I am creating my home centered business, and the other outlets I am going to use.

    Thank you, Jeff, for everything you teach us. It is greatly appreciated.
    Regards and Happy New Year
    God bless.

  43. Good stuff Jeff.
    Habits and rituals for this year will be
    1)Be present in all relationships regardless of my benefit.
    2) group excercise scheduled 2x weekly.
    3) Catch myself when comparing my success to others. A truly toxic habit for which the solution is gratitude.

  44. I am a big believer that the key to a fulfilling life and work is to create your own definition of success based on your values and build your life and work around that and use that vision to drive the goals you focus on and how you assign the time you have to turn that into reality.

  45. Hi, Jeff. I just signed up for your newsletter, and I’ve heard of you before from the guys over at Internet Business Mastery. One of my goals this year is to better focus on product creation. Can you recommend resources for product creation? I know you focus on launching the product, but first I have to create it 🙂

  46. I’ll keep practicing my segments, which are 50 min focus (on a project on my schedule) and 10 min break. I get to do several things throughout the day that way and always feel successful. Working out is always included in one of them.

    One of the keys is sticking with what works for you after you figure out what that is! Sometimes we look back at what used to work so well and wonder how we got out of the habit of doing it. I find having things on my calendar all day long is fun and productive. They can be switched around depending on my inspiration and I get to them all by the end of the day. Works like a charm!

    Happy New Year, Jeff and PLF’ers!

  47. Frank Casanova

    Reply

    Come on… “Goals” can just be wishin’ and hopin’. “Resolution” should be a “commitment” Problem is most people can’t make commitments… mostly out of fear of failure.

  48. Awesome stuff, Jeff! Always love your words of wisdom and I am also a big fan of rituals. I think we were on the same page when I wrote MY “resolutions suck” post the other day! http://joegirard.ca/5-stupid-new-years-resolutions/

  49. I found last year to take on realistic smaller goals and either do them [a] first thing in the morning [b] same time every day or week and get used to using the google calendar for alerts [c] the big one is being accountable to someone else every week.

    One accomplishment I achieved was losing 45lbs and maintaining weight.

    This year’s goal – 6 year figure.

  50. LOVE the 50 minute time segments idea. I’ll be video blogging about it as soon as I try it out. Always nuggets of gold in your content. Thanks

  51. Awesome stuff Jeff! This really resonates with me. This concept is one that I teach to clients as well as young people I mentor. Having worked with hundreds of people in my fitness business I’ve seen the power of developing good habits in so many people and it is definitely the main thing that separates the achievers from the non achievers.

    By the grace of God, I’ve personally accomplished many goals by adopting good habits. I’m a teenage cancer survivor, I’ve lost over 80 pounds and kept it off for 15 years and gone from below the poverty line to being in the top 10% of income earners in only four years and I’ve become only the 69th person in the world to be master certified in a very advanced form of therapy and I’m currently six months shy of my 32nd birthday.

    I actually created and patented a product that helps people develop habits and keep themselves accountable to them. I call it The Daily Scoreboard. One of my goals for this is to get it out to the masses!

    Keep up all the good work Jeff! I get a lot out of your stuff!

  52. Very well said! I’m looking forward to get a habit of meditating every morning and make it more important than breakfast. I personally think its the best way to start one’s day. Putting in one’s mind and spirituality first could make the rest of one’s day. I hope you’ll have more videos like this! I surely won’t miss a single one!

  53. Frederic Bergugnat

    Reply

    That’s what I thought when I saw this round lady running and suffering yesterday morning!

  54. I was watching the colour change on the hill behind you as I listened to you and an early morning walk or early morning outdoor activity is being added to my morning ritual. The changing colours at that time of the morning are an inspiration in themselves and promote the best thinking of the day.

  55. Jeff — Thanks for a wonderful video!
    Like you and many others, I find it most important to set aside morning time for a spiritual ritual of meditating… or as Dawn Nocera said, a “grace practice.” I also agree with JF Garsula mentioned, it IS more helpful than breakfast.

    I want to keep promises to myself — of taking care of mind, body and spirit by also having enough rest, water and exercise. Looking forward to growing and building relationships to help more entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders share their inspiring stories online — and expand positivity in our world.

  56. Mary Ellen Maple

    Reply

    Happy New Year, Jeff and everyone at PLF.

    I am working on two rituals – 1) Get to bed by 11pm 2) Purt my feet on the floor when my alarm goes off at 6am

    I will work on developing more rituals after these are set in place in a few weeks. I will add rituals around family time, creating products, serving clients, learning, meal planning, exercise. I think setting one or two rituals in place at a time will help me really focus on what I am trying to accomplish.

    Thank you for your thought provoking video.

  57. Good morning Jeff.for 2014 have a great health for you and your family.
    Well i agree with some of your comments.But some people need that in with the new and out with old.So new year is a good start for them,
    My new habit is to focus every day and finish what i am doing.Your a top man with a good heart.Best regards.Norman

  58. Hi Jeff, great video and arm stamina! I agree totally, new year resolutions just set you up for failure. I’m a big believer in rituals as well. As a writer, my morning ritual involves 6am start, walk on the beach and when I return I sit down and commit 500 words to my current project. Then breakfast, then I focus on my business. As an Internet entrepreneur in the creative space it’s really important to have a ritual around my writing. It’s a difficult balance to achieve. My second ritual is around daily , weekly and monthly scheduling on my business projects. I worked in the corporate world for far too long to subscribe to ‘targets’ as I learned they can be slippery things. Goals are achievable with discipline and ritual . Great post.

  59. Happy New Year, Jeff!

    One of the habits/rituals I plan to put into place this year is a more consistent, systematic approach to writing, so that my blog is fresh + alive, and so that the book I’m working on will be delivered on-time.

    Thanks for the inspiring video—

    Robb

  60. Steve MacLeod

    Reply

    Great Blog Jeff, I agree that you should make goals and not resolutions because when someone makes a resolution they usually announce it to friends or loved ones, this just adds unnecessary stress to a situation that is already difficult for this person i.e. weight loss or smoking!!
    Private goals are great because they are yours to control and when you get the results you were looking for … believe me your friends will notice …. the goals you set must be achievable!

    Happy New Year

    Steve

  61. Frederic Bergugnat

    Reply

    Your video is great. What I agree with it’s these 50 minutes X 2 focus time ritual that makes you win the day. No need to rush and stress 8 hours in a row ineffectively! but focus on a goal and be fully effective during a human bearable complete focus time 🙂 Thanks for your speech.

  62. So doesn’t it means that when you don’t have focus day you don’t brush your teeth 😀

    Thanks you very much for the advise, my new habits for 2014 is to have a break before going to sleep like listening relaxation music, or deep house music.

    And the second one is to make more break in my life to listen more and fulfill my life goals.

    As you said, doing all this will be much more exiting than just “resolutions”

  63. Loved the video Jeff. For me it is also about a moment of reflection on what I learned from the year before. I love your idea about rituals and I will build that into my plan for the year. I start with three gideliness for the year ahead that are behaviours I follow throughout the year. I got this idea from Ginny Ditzler of Best Year Yet fame, and sort of modified it to fit with my way of working and use it with all my clients

    This year they are
    Keep taking the next step
    Only have relationships that work
    Reach out to my community

    Happy New year to all at PLF you are a beautiful community and I love being part of it.

  64. Hi Jeff,
    This year is not making resolutions but setting goals, and I will be keeping track during the course of the year to make sure I adhere to my goals. After watching your video makes me more enthusiastic in pursuing my goals and setting targets as I go along.
    I will let you know of my achievements.
    Happy New Year to you and your family.

    All the best,
    Shaun Ross.

  65. Hello Jeff,

    Thanks for your video.

    The word “Ritual” from Eben Pagan comes from the program WakeUp Productive” the word comes exactly from the book “The Full Engagement” by Tony Schwartz.

    I am planning to keep implementing the following rituals (I got the ideas from Eben and Tony Schwartz).

    1. A ritual to go to sleep well, very relax and in a good mood.(watch comedy and avoid the news which are never good).
    2. A ritual to get up and make myself strong, drink water, exercise, have a good breakfast and get ready to work.
    3. A ritual to work in junks of time. To work for a certain period of time and take a mini break then keep working, so I have enough energy to make it happen.
    4. Keep learning how to recycle energy instead of expending energy (we are good at expending energy a few of us know how to recycle energy). Everything is energy the more we have it, the more we can produce and achieve.

    Finally, I would like to share this video from Tony Schartz at Google University.

    http://youtu.be/tke6X2eME3c

    The best for everyone.

    Leoncio

    note: The Full Engagement book is available in audio books from the public library for those willing to get it. I am just like you willing to learn, study and implement what we have learned.

  66. Great video Jeff. Resolutions are a farce. Goals are the only way things get done and I have a few goals myself this year.

    First was to get healthier so the smoking is gone and has been for over 30 hours now.

    Next is to do my social media contributions first thing with my coffee

    Next write my blog or do my video for the day

    And lastly, help another do the same.

    Thanks for being a visible member of the higher echelons and for sharing the stuff we all should know.

    Llllllllllllaaaaaaaauuuuuuunch!!!

  67. Thanks for this Jeff. I am not a fan of resolutions either. I do like setting goals. The challenge has always been laying out the plan for executing them. I never thought about creating a ritual that would provide the framework/atmosphere to develop those plans. I really like the concept. Happy New Year!

  68. Excellente video, Jeff! Let’s make it happen with attitude, less procrastination and more action! Reading a lot of good material from Robin Sharma and I’m in sync with your point of view. Success to everybody!

  69. Hi Jeff.
    Great video.
    My New Year Habit is going to be to stop buying other people’s products and finally launch my own!
    I have 3 programs I’ll be launching in 2014 – one on video marketing, one on online product creation, and topically, one on goal setting.
    I’l be launching every one of them using your Product Launch Formula so thanks for creating that!
    Have a great 2014!
    All the best,
    Mike

  70. I agree with your ritual/habit thing…at least it makes easier even unconsciously every day task can be worked out to complete weekly/monthly/yearly goals.

    End of day, one can reassess daily tasks and re-arrange time, concentration to perform better than yesterday…if we have control on every hour’s behavior according to each task that contribute to each day, to month and then year

    My goal is to get better in teaching and understanding all the aspect of IT field especially programming. This is my second month of preparation toward my goal. And also run my site in full scale in 2014

  71. Nice video to watch with 2014 coming on. Some thoughts:

    * Theme for the year – Something I’m tryout this year is setting a “theme” for the year, and this year it’s “Implement and Monetize”. It gives me a North Star to go by. So I can always look at it, and then ask myself “Does what I’m doing right NOW help me implement and monetize?”

    * Productivity sessions – I like the 2 x 50 sessions. A twist I’ve added is using the first 5 minutes to get very specific about the outcome of each 50-minute chunk. So I’ll ask myself, “What is the goal of the next 50 minutes? What do I want to accomplish? What would success look like?” That give me a bit more clarity when I charge into it.

    * Going for the FEELING – In dealing with some trauma in my life (losing most of my vision), I went down the rabbit for a couple years. It was somatic work that helped me come out the other side. And it was a book called “In an Unspoken Voice”, by Peter Levine that laid out the somatic path. But an even bigger takeaway is that ALL true transformation takes place in the body. One can set all the mental (and even emotional) goals they want, but until it’s integrated at the somatic level, it’s probably not going to happen. So how do you do that? Well – you go for the FEELING. What would it FEEL like to have success? What would it FEEL like to accomplish this goal? And then I feel into that feeling.

    At the end of the year I’ll let you know if it works!

    And – as always – thanks for your ongoing posts of wisdom. It seems like there’s just a handful of people in this biz that stand out in this field with their integrity & honesty. You’re one of those people. 😉

    Best wishes you to you for an awesome 2014.

  72. Mauricio Martinez

    Reply

    Daily gratitude.

    I used to think that being unhappy with my state in life was a motivating force to greater achievement. How wrong that is!

    A grateful child always knows that a loving parent has even greater things to give.

  73. Great stuff,always learning something new from you…many years ago my late friend
    and author of “A Touch of Greatness” told me everything is energy,and most people waste their energy with activities that are draining their energy away from them with activities that are taking them away from the very things they want to achieve.He was 92 years “young” at a time and did tell me few of his longevity “secrets” which most of us probably already know but very few actually DO.They all are easy to do,but as late Jim Rohn said they are also easy not to do! I try to get early to bed, and early to rise,avoid T.V. or reading newspaper with all the bad news that bombard us daily,I eat apple or two every day,reminds me of old doctors advice an apple a day keeps doctor away,so far being 67 years “young” and still with all my teeth,last time I have seen dentist I was asked when was last time I was at dentist?I said 5 years ago! He said I can’t believe,you have excelent teeth,no need to do any work,no even cleaning!Surely I did like to hear that,knowing how expensive dentists are.Drink at least half galon clean water daily and walk every day half hour at least,eat as much as possible raw food,fruits and vegies…
    Last time I was at doctor a year ago for general checkup he said all is fine,keep doing what you are doing.He suggest some shots for the flu etc,he said this is good idea for people in start of winter season.I told him:doc,let me think about it,we will check it next time,he said fine,so next time I would tell him the same thing I told him last time,he just laugh and say,well keep doing what you have been doing,you seem to be in better shape then me.Personally,for me the worst energy drain is being arround negative people,my suggestion is to stay away as far as possible from negative people even if they are family members,there is nothing more energy draining then being surounded with negative energy.If you want to increase your energy level and get healthier keep in touch with energetic people,young, and old,who inspire you, and tell you that you too have a seed of greatness within you,even if you may not believe at present time,but just hearing it over and over will in time manifest itself in a beautiful change in you,change for better health,
    happiness,and Joy to live life of abundance in everything you do.Ivan

  74. Jeff, you always have good stuff…I almost never really comment but this is truly awesome and I think will help me a lot. Resolutions don’t work, Goals are difficult for me because I seem to get stuck around the anxiety of not meeting them and thus often don’t do enough to make them happen, but creating a building habit/ritual, one that incremental pushes me forward toward what I really want seems incredible doable…I am going to try this!!

  75. Thanks a lot Jeff! 😉

    As one of my virtual mentors, you always bring me insights to move forward…

    I decided to switch from resolutions to decisions! So, one thing I add to my morning ritual :

    – Taking the time when I fill in my Daily Planner (Brendon Burchard) to write the name of someone who can help me achieve prosperity with my business and call him!

    Thanks again Jeff and, who knows, to the plaesure of meeting you one day; a Dios, Marc M. (o:

  76. Hey Jeff

    Just signed up to get your wisdom and first thing I read is this – nice ! My New Habit is to let the change agent loose that has always sat inside me – having a little course correction as we speak for my product idea.

    Very excited about 2014
    Best wishes
    Sara

  77. Hey, Jeff–
    Happy New Year to you and the rest of the PLF team! I really appreciated your comments about New Year’s resolutions. My experience is that they are rather presumptuous, assuming that I or anyone can change any sort of behavior simply by deciding to do so, without a plan in place. As we all know, when we make a decision to do something, there is always a side of us that doesn’t go along with the agenda at all, and which becomes the enemy in the process of completing the objective. So I can’t make a decision for tomorrow, I can’t even do it really for today too well, but I can throw my weight behind creating a new habit–and sticking with it–right now.
    The habit I am creating is that of sitting directly down to creative work first thing in the morning, right after getting a shot or two of expresso–rather than getting sucked into other peoples’ agendas through emails and all the rest.
    Thanks again for all the great content!
    Al

  78. Hi Jeff Happy New Year!

    Thanks again for the great information and motivation you provided in this video.
    I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions because as you say they never work. What I tried to do in past years is to reset and revise my goals with some actions. This year however. I will do something different and you have highlighted exactly those areas that I will work on.
    For riturals; I will focus on what is required in my business for 2014 and one of the areas is to create great content for my clients.
    Rituals: I will work on structuring my days much better and build in them ‘down time’ to conserve on my energy.
    Habits: To continue with my meditation and devotion first thing each morning.
    Goals: To recommence my daily exercise for 20 minutes and reconnect with eating healthily and sensibly.
    Thanks for the motivation to move forward in 2014.

    Veronica

  79. Tom Livingston

    Reply

    That’s a great distinction between resolutions and goal-setting! I like the idea of adding some rituals to my day, like reading an hour, writing 1500 words, etc. and choosing a specific time and place to do these. Churchill wrote 2000 words per day and laid 200 bricks! That kind of discipline and purpose caught my attention! John Maxwell files, writes, thinks, reads, and listens …5 things daily. Another great example!

  80. I enjoyed hearing this different perspective. I’m glad to see this centering around the Focus Days and a visualization/creativity exercise.

    As mentioned, Jeff clearly understands the importance of taking an action to bring a goal to fruition.

    Yes, we’d love some more snow….here in Colorado.

  81. Hi Jeff,
    Love your work and your message.

    In 2014 I need to recommit to my ritual. I have several things I do in theory, that sometimes slip out of practice. Mornings are my time of reflection: set the daily intention, review my goals and aspirations, meditate for 30 minutes, eat breakfast… then as the day winds down, do a daily review. What was accomplished and what remains open?

    Every monday is my planning and inspiration day – no appointments…just let the creativity flow.

  82. Love your message Jeff. I am with you…. I am into Happy Renew Year….and forget the resolutions. What I love to say and teach in my work as a Dr. of Oriental Medicine is Self-Care is a Way of LIfe, Not an Event…and rituals are a big part of Self-Care as a foundation for our passions, prosperity and elevating our purpose. Please give a hug to your neighbor Laurie for me. Blessings!

  83. Hi Jeff, great video. In the past I use write things down for what I need to do the next day and it would work for me. So that would one of my rituals that I would want to do everyday. The other would be 30 minutes a day to work on my business.

  84. I am from Indonesia. Your video really amazing for me. Goal setting must be smart…, goal setting have to combine with habits, otherwise its useless. My Resolution should be for habits and my ritual so I could be a role model for my staff and my family

  85. Jeff, great, such a new look on New Years resolutions. I never liked them, but did not make the shift to goals. But rituals are even better. Rituals are much ignored in our society. I am a cultural anthropologist, and lived in rural areas for some times. People would not survive without their rituals there.
    I am very curious about the launching of Joan T about rituals. Any idea how I can get more information? Love from the netherlands. Inge (doing PLF 4)

  86. Jeff, it’s not that New Year’s resolutions are useless. From my experience as a goal setting coach, New Year’s resolutions can be extremely valuable. It’s just that people set them only once and usually forget about them the next day.

    Setting an intention only once is not enough. I believe it is the main reason why most New Year’s resolutions fail – we expect to undo years of emotional and behavioral patterns with just one night of resolution (one that we normally are making after a glass of champagne!).

    The other reason New Year’s resolutions fall through is that most people don’t take the time to make a winning game plan for achieving their dreams.

    In any case, thanks for the video Jeff and keep doing the great work you’re doing.

  87. I think most entrepreneurs have a rebellious streak and rebel against the resolution concept 😉 my life used to be so disorganized, so chaotic, lots going on, lots of achievement but no order what so ever, I had goals and would achieve them but I was missing an important key: HABITS when I started forming habits that were aligned with my goals my life changed 😉 This year I started by framing the habit of doing cardio everyday, I’ve allowed myself to become sedentary, siting in front of my computer all day, now gonna shake that habit and include active breaks 😉

  88. I love modeling what successful people do – and your video helped me identify a key area where a little ritual – of creating content for 50 minutes that gets unto a video, email or post – and it gets posted that day on the web – this alone, I feel will change my life. (because I know what the content needs to be about).

    Thanks for the invitation. I start tomorrow at 4:00am (primetime for clear ideas and clear thinking).

    Best regards,
    Federico

  89. Stuart Haden

    Reply

    Combined with the wise words from Srinivas Rao
    http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=d228fef7b285769dbcc5b81ba&id=69d08b509a&e=35a8cf638b

    this short vid from Jeff has added a lot to my plans for this year. So much so I too am going to blog about it later this week

    The rituals I am going to commit to relate to some of the things that Jeff mentions. I refer to them as the 5 energy sources – soul, body, heart, mind and spirit. Ensuring I commit to rituals in each of these 5 areas both for myself and others. Adds up to 10 a week…

    Stuart.

  90. Thanks, Jeff, for this video. I’m brand new to your work and I love your style already.

    The word “rituals” really resonates with me. It brings a certain sacred-ness to the activity. The ritual I intend to implement tomorrow as I wake up in the morning is listing things I’m thankful for–the things that at one time in the past I wanted, that are now manifested in my physical reality. It reminds me of my creative power. And it also keeps me focused on all that I’m abundant in, instead of all I’m lacking. That puts me into “inspired action” mode!

    Thanks, again, and keep being awesome!

  91. Hey Jeff,

    I know what you mean about New Year’s resolutions and I feel the same way. But the new year is a natural time to start fresh with new ideas and behavior,

    Whenever I need to make any changes, I attack it by chunking it down to smaller manageable tasks. Just remember the proverb…all journeys, whether they be difficult and long or short and easy, begin with the first step.

    My tasks for this new year is to get more involved with social media which is something I’ve been avoiding due to lack of knowledge.

    Thanks for the video.

    Frank

  92. Great one. I’m a ritual person too. 🙂 The challenge I have is that I’m easily distracted and things grow old quick so I need to keep remaking my lists and adjusting my rituals to keep them fresh. On important key for me is putting up signs an reminders, by my desk, in the bathroom, and around the house.

  93. Good habits work because they use inertia to counter inertia. If you can’t win it, join it – this is the principle. Personnally, I picked from Dan Kennedy a habit similar to yours: go on with with the writing job at hand first thing in the morning, before checking any email, before getting dressed, even before breakfast (except for a glass of water and some fruit). It has resulted much better than any resolution to keep writing I had made before.

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