How To Keep Your New Year's Resolutions

How do you keep your New Year's resolutions? How do you lose these 20 pounds or take action on that business idea? Let's find out!

Note: As of today, I have a special sale going on — one month of accountability coaching for $199 (instead of $299). Read until the end of this message to learn more.

I.

We have all been there.

"It's the new year, and I am going to get ripped / start an online business / get over my social anxiety, etc."

But this energy wears off quickly. Within a few short weeks, you are back to ordering takeout and watching Netflix.

I hold people accountable for a living, and I have seen it a hundred times. Still, people believe that this time around it will somehow, magically, be different.

It won't — unless you go about it differently.

II.

What everybody does is start big. They sign up for the gym and start going there every day for two hours. They start a reading habit and commit to reading 50 pages a day.

In the beginning, when you are still high on enthusiasm, this works. But as the energy wears off, you start to slip up. Then you slip up more often. Then you stop altogether.

To succeed, you must do the opposite of what everybody is doing — you must start small. Start so incredibly small that the effort seems ridiculous. Do one push-up a day. Read one paragraph in a business book.

Keep doing this every day for a week, no matter how silly this feels. In week two, go up to two push-ups or two paragraphs. In week three, three push-ups or three paragraphs.

At the end of the year, you will be doing 50+ push-ups per day or reading 50+ paragraphs per day. That is significant. Keep with these habits, and they will change your life.

III.

People refuse the "start small" approach because they think short-term. They want results, and they want them quickly.

That is a surefire way to not get them.

When you overtax yourself, eventually, you will break down. It might take two weeks or it might take two months. But eventually, it will happen.

Nothing is accomplished this way. Yes, you had some quick wins. But now that you quit your workout habit again or stopped reading those business books, you will soon be back to where you started.

Understand that self-discipline works like a muscle — the more you train it, the more it adapts. When you start small, you give your self-discipline muscle the time it needs to grow. Now you can gradually take on bigger workloads without breaking down.

Going small is the shortcut.

IV.

My final advice — get someone to hold you accountable.

Obviously, this is where I would like you to hire me as an accountability coach. But even if you don't, find somebody else to check in with you daily.

So, if you committed to a daily push-up or reading habit, every day, without fail, send a message to your accountability partner — "Did my 5 daily pushups today." / "Read my 5 paragraphs."

If that message doesn't come, your accountability buddy should inquire about what's going on. Essentially, it should be impossible for you to weasel out of your commitment.

Having someone to hold you accountable is the closest thing to a self-discipline "hack." We hate being on record for saying we will do something and then not going through with it. It's good old peer pressure.

At the same, having someone in your corner cheering you on can make all the difference. If we feel like there is somebody who truly wants us to succeed, we will try harder.

If you want to kickstart your goals this year, I have a special sale for you. If you sign up by January 15th, your first month of accountability coaching will only be $199 — instead of $299.

This includes an initial goal-setting session via Zoom, daily online check-ins + a weekly 30-minute video call to keep you on track. You can learn more about the process here.

Also, there is no automatic renewal. If you decide after the first month that this is not for you, there is no obligation for you to continue.

Please note that this offer is for first-time clients only and only valid if you sign up by January 15th.

I look forward to helping you achieve your 2024 goals!

Until next week,

Niels