Making changes that stick

Resolutions typically fail by the 2nd week in January because most of us don’t know how to make resolutions. So what do you need to do to make sure changes you make STICK?Are you wondering why am I writing yet another piece on this topic now, January 17? Most people set their resolutions on the 1st or 2nd, and probably by now have stopped going to the gym, eating well, spending less, or the plethora of other resolutions most of us make at the beginning of the new year. Resolutions fail, so instead make changes that will withstandSince we're past the primte time of resolution-making,  NOW is the time to set your mind to make changes.Follow these 3 simple steps to make sure your changes stick.1. Plan. Make a concrete plan with a strategy to make it work.• What is your goal? (find a fulfilling career)• What steps are you going to take to reach your goal? (hire a career coach)• When are you going to work on it? (every Tuesday and Thursday evenings for 2 hours each)• When do you want to achieve this goal (be reasonable, yesterday is not an answer)• What reminder do you have to keep your focus (a new outfit hanging in the closet for your first day on the new job)2. Track. Monitor your activities to see the progress you’ve made.• Keep a list of the actions you’ve taken (how many networking calls you’ve had; the list of people you want to speak with; etc.)• Start a notebook just for your goal (brainstorm, notes of conversations with others, research on companies of interest etc.)3. Support. Find someone to keep you accountable.• Tell people your goals (I’m going to be in a new job by the summer)• Find at least 1 person to report to on a weekly basis so you actually do what you say you’re going to do (like a career coach)One of my goals this year is to write my first blog. I wrote the outline weeks ago and then sat on it. I told my coach that it was pointless to write it at this point. And yet, here I am, my first blog written and out there for the public’s eye.Lesson learned: Stop thinking about something and just sit down and do it. I spent more time agonizing over writing this piece than it took for me to write it. Tell someone you’re going to do it, and you will.