What’s Quitter’s Day?

It’s the day, according to the folks who run the fitness app Strava, that people are most likely to ditch their New Year’s resolutions.

To pinpoint January 19th as Quitter’s Day, Strava analyzed data from 98.3 million uploaded running, cycling and other exercise activities. Today is the day exercise drops off, gyms begin to empty and it’s easy to imagine that our other resolutions begin to falter.

How are you doing with your resolutions?

If you’re not sure, that’s part of the problem.

Did you write them down?
Writing down your resolutions with a note about why change is important commits you and will increase your likelihood of success.

Are your resolutions quantifiable
Simply saying you want to lose weight isn’t the same as committing to a number – either losing a pound per week or hitting a particular goal weight.

Are your resolutions measurable?
If you are striving to save more money, pick a reasonable goal – say $5,000 this year – and then ensure that you are making weekly/monthly progress.

Most importantly, do you remember why you made your resolutions?
You aren’t seeking better health or more money or a better work/life balance for the hell of it. There’s a reason you want those things. That reason has to remain front and center and drive your actions.

Your resolutions need to be built into your everyday life in order to stick. If you are trying to save money, then make a note each day about expenses you avoided, things you didn’t buy or steps you took to bring in additional income. If you are trying to lose weight, then count your calories or track your exercise. If you want to get a new job, start by polishing your resume, networking with three people who could be helpful or scanning the help wanted ads. Daily progress, consistent action and daily reminders create new habits and foster success.

If you’re off track, it’s only January 19th and with 346 days left in 2021, there’s still plenty of time to achieve your dreams. Besides, didn’t you say that 2021 was going to be a be a better year?

I make lists, mostly for short-term daily goals, but also for long term goals. For most of us, lifetime goals are organized into a “bucket list,” while annual goals mapped out on January 1st and updated quarterly are sometimes labeled “resolutions.” My daily to-do list includes key tasks, phone calls, emails, exercise and one or two reminders about emotional wellness. I try to chunk tasks together for optimal efficiency and love to create “found time” by listening to educational podcasts while running, responding to emails while waiting for Zoom meetings to start and cleaning up my call-back list while driving (using a hands-free device).  There’s a great feeling of accomplishment when you cross-off that last task, email or phone call and finish the day.

But how many of those things never should have made it onto the list in the first place?

How many Zoom meetings are twice as long as they need to be, include the wrong people or are wholly unnecessary? How many could have been an email? How many end without a concrete follow-up plan or next steps?

As we spend hours pursuing “in-box zero,” and checking social media feeds, it makes sense to wonder whether we really need to send all of those texts, emails and Facebook messages? Do we need really need take that last look at Instagram or TikTok?

Is everything on your to-do list really that important or meaningful? Will it make a difference tomorrow, next week or next year? Do the things on today’s list relate to your goals for the year or are you rushing through those tasks, hoping to have time to do the really important stuff?

Before adding things to your to-do list, carefully consider the impact and importance of each item. Doing a bunch of meaningless stuff fast isn’t productive. Working hard is easy; working smarter takes some strategic thinking and tough decisions.

For every new thing you add to your list today, take something off. The important stuff will rise to the top.