Do you know what percentage of people actually stick to their New Year’s resolutions?
Have a guess.
The answer is… only 8%. Yep, a whopping 92% of resolutions never get achieved.
And businesses don’t fare much better. Research shows that 88% of large business transformations fail to hit their original targets. Ouch.
So, why is it so hard to achieve what we set out to do?
I think it comes down to how we approach goals.
When I work with leaders on building better work habits, we always start with what they want to achieve—both business and personal goals. But here’s the catch: if you only focus on the goal, it can actually work against you.
Here’s why:
1. Goals can feel daunting.
Just focusing on the long term outcome can be daunting. If your goal is to hit $5 million in revenue by the end of the year, staring at that number every day feels impossible. Same thing if you want to write a best-selling book. Sitting down to “write a best-seller” each morning is paralysing.
- Goals don’t feel motivating day to day.
Until you hit the big number, you’re technically “failing” every single day. That’s not very encouraging, is it? You are failing daily until you finally, and may be, achieved your goal.
So instead of only focusing on the goal, I suggest shifting towards actions.
- Want $5 million revenue? → Commit to reaching out to three potential clients each day.
- Want to write a book? → Commit to writing 500 words a day.
See the difference? Suddenly the mountain doesn’t feel so steep. Each day becomes a win you can build on. The goal is the output. The action is the input. Set the output, yes, but make sure you translate it into a daily action that feels achievable.
Now, my question for you is this: Are you clear on your goals? And just as importantly—are you clear on the daily actions that will get you there?
Have a lovely day.
A bientôt,
Cyril
