Making those New Year resolutions stick

It’s that time of year when we all resolve to change our habits and behaviour – to lose weight, give up smoking or take more exercise. Yet a study by Richard Wiseman from the University of Bristol in 2007 found that only 12 per cent of those who set themselves New Year resolutions managed to stick to them, despite the fact that 52 per cent were confident of their success at the outset.

So why are New Year resolutions so difficult to keep, and what relevance do they have to being a successful lawyer? In his book Strategy and the Fat Smoker, David Maister illustrates how difficult lawyers find it to do what’s obvious for the success of their business – the gap between knowing what you should do and acting upon it consistently.

Maister uses his own personal example as a ‘fat smoker’ to underscore his point. One of his main arguments is that individually and collectively knowing that something is good for us is not a predictor that we’re going to do it. For strategy to be acted upon, he asserts, the key driver is not analytical insight but greater resolve.

So, if in 2014 you’ve resolved to win more work from your clients, to put that strategic business plan finally into action, or to nurture your team more actively, what will make you successful this time when your previous good intentions have come to nothing?

Golden rules

It seems to me that there are four golden rules when it comes to resolutions.

1. Since will power is a limited mental resource (and we are all rather feeble when it comes to self-control) you need to be realistic with yourself. Avoid setting lots of ambitious goals that in your heart of hearts you know you won’t achieve. It’s much better to pick one or two key things that you want to change and to focus on them exclusively.

2. Take the extra step of breaking your resolutions down into specific actions – to call a key client to discuss business once a month, or to take your seniors out for lunch at the end of each assignment, for example. It’s the equivalent of resolving to lose weight and setting a specific goal to lose two pounds a week by cutting out desserts and alcohol.

3. Share your goals with a colleague – just like telling a friend you plan to go to the gym; peer support makes a real difference to the sustainability of your resolutions. If a colleague knows you want to deepen your client base, they are more likely to support you and give you suggestions and encouragement, and you’re more motivated to prove you can do it.

4. Be really committed about your long-term intent and weave your resolutions into your daily routine. Change doesn’t come easily and keeping true to your goals can be frustrating, but just think how great you’ll feel a year from now when you look back on the resolutions that have become your new way of working.