“Ditch that New Year’s Resolution… A Tried-and-True Replacement for 2024”

Goals -- Our culture is obsessed with them.? We live in a society where our success is measured by how well we hit the mark at work, school, sports, and life.? We hear about setting SMART goals.? You know, the goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Targeted.?? Or was it Attainable, Relevant and Time-Bound? Or was that Time-based?? There are so many versions, I cannot remember.?? And yet, we grade ourselves (or worse yet are graded by our others) by how we did in hitting the bullseye in these spheres of our lives.

And so, with the year winding down and 2024 in the front windshield, now is the time that many of us are thinking about resolving old behavior patterns and setting new, lofty goals for ourselves.? That is right… Those New Year’s Resolutions.? ?

And how have we collectively been doing with our Resolutions?

Researchers suggest that only 9% of Americans that make resolutions complete them. In fact, research goes on to show that 23% of people quit their resolution by the end of the first week, and 43% quit by the end of January.? Why Most New Year's Resolutions Fail | Lead Read Today | Lead Read Today ( osu.edu ) ? ?

Those are pretty abysmal statistics.? So abysmal, in fact, that I have been rethinking the value of this annual tradition and its merit for most people. ?Our New Year’s Resolution results can become the benchmark for our personal performance and the tangible measure of our success (or lack thereof) at the end of the year.? And this time of year, especially, we become infatuated with setting the perfect goals and convincing ourselves that THIS year will be different. Does this sound familiar??

For the record, as a life coach I am not against setting goals.? Having goals in life can be healthy and keeps your compass positioned forward.? I have several life and career goals for myself which I am constantly evaluating and assessing over time.? However, as a society, we put too much emphasis on goals and resolutions as measures of our success.?

So, what might be a better alternative to the New Year’s Resolution you ask?? After some reflection and necessary “homework” I discovered that the perfect substitute is creating a personal mission statement. ?I am sure you have heard of mission statements for corporations.? If fact, your current company may even have one, and if were so fortunate, you may have had some input in developing it.? While mission statements are common in corporations, churches, and other organizations, very few people actually take the time to develop one for themselves.? It is not something that our culture promotes but it is so important that, if you take the time to prepare it, could change the trajectory of your entire life.??

So, what is a personal mission statement exactly?

A personal mission statement is simply a one or two sentence statement that describes in your own words what your purpose is in life.? What is it that gets you out of bed in the morning?? What is that fills up your spirit and gives your life meaning?? The basic outline of the mission statement includes a verb or action word describing your purpose (create, inspire, transform, construct, etc.), the source of your mission (people, projects, programs, etc.), and your solution (to become self-sufficient, to transcend boundaries, to experience personal fulfillment, etc.) ?

Through my own self-reflection, I developed my own personal mission statement:

“My personal mission is to invest in people who are stuck or seeking and help them find their way.”

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While it is simple, it addresses the action (investing), the source of my mission (people who are stuck or seeking) and the solution (helping them find their way). Notice that I have left out the “how” (methodology) and the “goal” (desired statistics/results) from my statement.? In so doing, this allows me tremendous freedom.?? How I choose to achieve my mission remains flexible for myself and the specific results remain undetermined.

Below are three reasons that I believe having a personal mission statement will benefit your life over traditional goals/resolutions:

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#1- Having a Personal Mission Statement Focuses Your Life

The beauty of a mission statement is that it addresses the “why” in your life. ?It forces us to dive deeper into our core to make sure we are fully aligned with our life’s work.? If we bypass this crucial step and jump to goal setting, we are really setting ourselves up to miss the mark. ??I am of the belief that most people fail at goals because they do not have strong enough reasons to push for the results they wish to obtain.? Without strong enough reasons, you lose leverage over yourself to follow through, which leads to reverting to old ways that are comfortable and familiar. ?Having a strong “why” is the antidote to this and is the basis of your personal mission statement.??

When you can begin your day with the “why” in mind, you will find that your life has more focus as you begin to see your larger purpose. ?Regardless of your belief about how you got here, your life will have a profound meaning as you consciously and unconsciously seek out your mission.? The “how” will fall into place as you experiment with different habits and strategies that support your overall mission.?? You will also be more cognizant of your time and how and where you are spending it.? With a personal mission statement, you will recognize that your time is a gift, and the basis of your life decisions will be whether they will or will not support your mission. ?In this respect, your life will be simplified as well as you develop laser-like focus on those things that matter most to you.

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#2 – Having a Personal Mission Statement Provides You Flexibility

Once you have a strong personal mission statement, you may tweak it over time, but the fundamental message will remain the same. ?Your goals, on the other hand, can change over time, depending on how they align with your mission, thus providing you with flexibility in how you choose to go about your quest.? Given this freedom, you will find that it takes the pressure off of always trying to hit the mark.? Life will become less about “checking the boxes” and more about living out your life with intention.??

This flexibility will also allow you to see opportunities in your life when you may otherwise not be actively seeking them.? This is different from having a “goal-oriented” perspective where your eyes are focused on the final prize.? In so doing, it can be easy to overlook opportunities in front of you to invest in the source of your mission (people, projects, programs, etc.).?? Allow yourself permission to be flexible and remember to appreciate the importance of seeing the journey as part of your overall destination.?

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#3 – Having a Personal Mission Statement Quiets Your Spirit

When it comes to the process of attaining your goals, you have probably experienced a range of human emotions.? There are the emotional highs of closing in on your target and the deep lows that come with falling short.? We can naturally develop a self-imposed pressure to hit the bullseye which can take us on quite an emotional ride.

However, when you live with a personal mission statement, you will find yourself more emotionally grounded.? Being aligned with your unique calling is the ultimate gift and it gives your life a new sense of meaning. Recognize that life will by no means be any easier, and it will still require hard work on your part.? But you may find that certain decisions become easier as you assess the impact of them on your life’s anointing.?? And that will produce more peace within you as your life becomes more focused, flexible, and simplified.? ???

What is your personal mission statement for 2024?

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Author: Ryan Walter, ACC, PE

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Follow me @ Rethinkwildly.com

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Need assistance developing your unique personal mission statement for 2024?? I can help.? Please reach out to me to schedule a free consultation.? You can also schedule a session in my booking calendar for a time that works for you. Free Consultation Call - ReThink Wildly

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I am a certified professional life coach and professional engineer and help engineers and other professionals navigate the human challenges of work.? My mission is to help people get unstuck in their personal and professional lives.? Some of the areas that I coach professionals on include imposter syndrome, work fulfillment, life purpose, work-life balance, personal boundaries, assertiveness, and relational conflict in the workplace.? Top of Form

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My inspiration for the content in this article is from “The 7 Resolutions,” by Karl Clauson, Moody Publishers, 2022.? (Chapter #9 -Resolution #6 - Focus Effort).