As of March 2024, eighty percent of New Year’s Resolutions already failed. You will fall into those statistics if you are basing real change on a calendar date. A resolution, priority, or whatever you call your goal needs to have real meaning. It is the “why” that is important to the achievement. Although you might have a heartfelt commitment to change, here are some suggestions to increase the probability of success.

As of January 10, 2021, eighty percent of New Year’s Resolutions failed. If you are basing real change on a calendar date, you are sure to fall into those statistics. A resolution, priority or whatever you call your goal, needs to have real meaning. It is the “why” that is important to the achievement. Although you might have a heartfelt commitment to change, here are some suggestions to increase the probability of success.

In school we are taught that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Even when running marathons you learn about running tangents, running from one curve in the road to the next using the shortest possible line. Mathematically those are accurate strategies, however, it doesn’t necessarily apply in life. When we design our life plan, we presume we should take the straight path toward our dreams. But in reality, it is the meandering path leading to the destination which will be the most meaningful. Why? Because that journey will be filled with interesting, unfamiliar experiences as well as surprises along the way. Don’t become too focused on the getting there as fast as you can just to check off a completed goal. Instead, take time to recognize the small steps as well as the big ones. Enjoy the missteps and failures. Stop and celebrate moving the flag toward your dreams.

There is only so much time in a day, a week, a year. When we want to start something big, human tendency is to talk ourselves into the mindset of “we have time for it later.” Time to take that trip, build that house, start that business sometime later when things slow down. My husband and I often tell new parents “don’t blink,” because a newborn baby will be driving away to college before you know it. Living intentionally with your family by not missing that soccer game or dance recital will be more rewarding. Painting a picture of how you want your future self, your family, your business and your involvement in the community to look like 10 years from now is the beginning of making it come true. To dream about the future is a positive step, but making it a reality is the challenge. Often we write down our goals at the beginning of the year, a New Year’s resolution, then cast them aside only a few weeks later. In the case of 2020, many of us conveniently used the excuse of the pandemic not focus on what we really want in life. So my challenge to you is list all of the dreams you have waiting in the wings of your life.

Many people make New Year Resolutions, but break them within a few weeks or months. Those that have defined written goals, however, are proven to be more successful in obtaining those priorities. Achieving their dreams, no matter what obstacles thrown in their direction, is their way of reaching their full potential. They are living intentionally, but even the most disciplined were derailed in 2020 falling short of their objectives. Although it has become our family mantra to live intentionally, I began to ponder if it is possible to be too focused?

After more than 30 days of the “Stay At Home’ order, we all are striving to get back to a routine. Rolling out of bed in our pajamas to start our work day from home has become tiresome. Many people are bored, irritable and even depressed being cooped up in their home, but too scared to venture out even for necessities. As I sit here this rainy morning contemplating my day, I wonder what will be on my to do list. Although I feel I am one of the fortunate ones living on a beautiful 280 acre farm, my life, as with everyone else’s, has been turned upside down. We are told to sit on the couch and don’t go outside to do our part in flattening the curve. But as another year is quickly racing by, we must not let our goals and dreams get derailed be a pesky pandemic. Let’s look at this black swan event as an opportunity to accomplish some of our goals that we might not of had time for before.

Social Distancing, Coronavirus, Quarantined are all things we have become too familiar with these last couple of weeks. Businesses and schools are closed, hospitals are overburdened, and we are struggling to find a new normal. We are scrubbing our hands, keeping six feet apart in groups of ten or less all in an effort to “flatten” the statistical curve of the virus. We have become a society of hoarders by clearing out grocery shelves of paper towels, cleaning products, toilet paper and the elusive hand sanitizer. People are binge watching movies, old TV shows or obsessively watching the latest news since we are being told to be a couch potato. Someone sneezing in a public place is as frightening as a person with leprosy. To combat our worst fears, the human spirit is discovering creative ways to entertain themselves. Teddy bear hunts are being developed and song parodies are going viral on social media. Although some have extra time on their hands, others need to adapt to their working environment in the confines of their abode. Some even have to juggle the additional chore of homeschooling. But through this confusion, a question occurred to me. While everyone is working from home and if this is our new normal, how can we keep our family bond if we aren’t physically together? At this moment during the Pandemic of 2020, can technology be an effective tool to keep your family productive, connected and informed?