Change tends to be difficult for most people. It requires letting go of old habits and adapting to new ones. Most of what we do as coaches is help people with change, whether it is making a necessary change in behavior, a change in career, or adapting to changes in their organization or lives.
Many of you are probably aware that we are currently in the midst of the Jewish “High Holy Days”. The days in between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are meant to be a time of reflection, where you contemplate the past year, think of went well, what you would do differently, and resolve to make changes in the new year. Even if you’re not Jewish, this is a good opportunity to focus on a change you want to make. Here are some tips for making your plans for change “stick”:
- Set a challenging, yet achievable goal. If your final goal is a huge, multi-year project, determine a reasonable milestone to hit within the next year.
- Find appropriate tools or resources (technology, people).
- Anticipate obstacles (and think of ways to overcome them).
- Acknowledge and overcome “limiting beliefs”. Many of us put off change because we think we can’t, or are afraid to fail.
- Monitor progress, and celebrate small victories! This will encourage you to continue to put effort toward your goal, even if it takes a while to complete.
The Fitbit is a simple example of a tool that enables people to set goals and monitor progress. My rabbi mentioned in his sermon that he and his family got Fitbits, which many of us also have. Now that he is monitoring in real time how much activity he has been getting, and how he compares to his family members (who are consistently informing him when they have more steps than he does), he is improving his fitness level and reaching new goals. I have personally used my Fitbit to help me reach goals for both exercise and sleep. No matter what your goal is, continue to set short term or mid-range goals, track progress, and take time to celebrate your accomplishments, whether it’s 10,000 steps or increasing sales by 10%.
I wish each and every one of you a wonderful, sweet year, no matter what your tradition is…and a year full of wonderful changes!