Agile Thinking Can Help You Keep That New Year's Resolution
Ahhhhhh.... it's that time of year again where most people go hard on self-improvement efforts. The clock strikes 12:00, it's a new year, and you are filled with an overwhelming sense of action. "This year, I am going to lose X pounds." Or, "This year, I am going to pick that hobby back up." And, my personal favorite: "This year, I am going to start writing again." (Yes, coincidence intended)
After defining your resolutions, you work diligently on them. After the first few days, there is excitement in the air as you bask in the pride of "doing the thing".
And, then...
The resolutions begin to slip from your mind. They dwindle from conversations. And, before long, they've been completely abandoned. Cue that heavy sigh, as you relent again to another year.
This hurry up and stop cycle has been an unfortunate outcome of many New Year's resolutions. Yeah, I know this well from my own experiences. <sad trombone>
Everyone has their reasons for giving up on their resolutions, however, data shows us that our reasons may have more in common than one would think. Using user data, the fitness app Strava determined that "Quitter's Day" has been predicted to be January 19th, 2020. This is when the activity on the Strava platform starts to sharply decline. One could easily believe that this 19 day shelf life is not limited to the millions of users who are registered with Strava and in fact the short shelf life is indicative of how most individuals treat their New Year's resolutions.
Why does our energy towards resolutions burn out after only a couple weeks? We've made it to 3% of the total year and we totally throw in the towel? What gives?
Perhaps, the reason for the high failure rate is how we are approaching our resolutions? This is where Agile thinking can come into play. It's a theory, but hear me out.
Break it down, refine, repeat
In Agile, when delivery becomes weak for a team one of the first things we check is story quality. Is the acceptance criteria clear and effective? Can the story be completed within the sprint? Is the effort estimate accurate? So on and so forth.
The same concepts can be applied to defining your criteria for a New Year's resolution. Your resolutions must be defined correctly or you have a low chance of succeeding. Simple as that. So, it is important to really push yourself to commit to something that is clear, valuable, and feasible.
One thing that has worked for me is using the S.M.A.R.T. framework. For some reason, this format brings my mind into focus and helps reduce ambiguity. I've included a simple example for context's sake.
- Specific (simple, sensible, significant). / E.g. I want to pay off $1,000 worth of debt by October (or 10 months from today) without adding new income sources or negatively affecting my quality of life
- Measurable (meaningful, motivating). / E.g. I will set aside $100 every month
- Achievable (agreed, attainable). / E.g. I am confident that setting aside $100 every month will not negatively affect my quality of life
- Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based). E.g. Paying off debt would increase my credit score so I can support future goals such as purchasing a home
- Time bound (time-based, time limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive). E.g. I will erase the debt within 10 months
Sounds, well.... smart, right? Yes, and this tight format works for some. But, a word of caution is to not let a S.M.A.R.T. goal restrain you or turn you into an achievement addict. Don't discourage yourself from squirreling completely and make room for satisfying your curiosities and appreciating the things you might discover on your journey. You can do this while keeping tabs on a longer term goal. I promise.
Set it and do not forget it
You have a specific resolution defined that you're proud of? Check. It seems valuable and feasible. Check. Yeah! But, wait...
Did you plan on assessing the resolution at any point in time? How will you know if... Things are going well and why? You have had hiccups and why? This resolution is still relevant? You achieved the actual resolution at-hand?
If this sounds like a sprint retrospective, then mission accomplished.
The Agile manifesto states with all its mighty wisdom:
"At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly."
It is foolish to think that things stay perfectly constant while you're working on your resolution. In fact, thousands of years ago the Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, remarked that "Nothing endures but change." So, yeah. Let's just say that unpredictability has been a thing for little while now.
Further, there is no strict rule that says your New Year's resolution has to encapsulate an entire year. Make baby resolutions that last a few weeks or months. As a matter of fact, shorter timespans increase your chances of success and force you to break down resolutions into smaller and more attainable items. Bonus: shorter timespans means you get to celebrate more often!
To that end, the success of your resolution greatly depends on your ability to frequently inspect and adapt to enable the much-needed agility to keep your resolutions on course. Yep, it's true that the target always moves, so shouldn't you?
In summary:
- Take special care of the content of your resolution
- Assess the resolution frequently
- Adapt as needed to nurture the success of the resolution
And, remember to be kind to yourself, leave yesterday behind you, and best of luck in your journey.
Auld Lang Syne,
Jess
. I, too, have experienced the guilt that comes from abandoning my resolutions.
Jan 1 is arbitrary on year is a very long time