Resolutions suck, do this instead

Increase your chances of actually sticking to your Resolutions this year by creating processes that keep you accountable.

Hey friends,

I’m back. For… good? Well I better be because I did my 2021 Annual Review and was quite perturbed at how little documentation and writing I did last year.

How in the world am I supposed to build a personal brand if I keep everything I know in my head?

So, here’s some advice on keeping your New Year Resolutions from a guy who couldn’t keep his own last year (so much for “Learning Out Loud”).

I would blame being too busy with work and side projects, but we’re all busy. I also won’t say “sorry folks, I’ll try to do better this year 🥺👉👈” and instead give you the framework I’ll be following to hold myself accountable.

First thing’s first…

Make a Vision Board

You know, the thing Real Estate agents and people who just came back from a Tony Robbins seminar keep next to their desk in the office. Yeah, that thing.

Except not as pedantic as a Trifold Poster Board for others to see because it’s 2022, and we have tools like Notion.

These things work. Why? Because if you do them properly, they will serve as your North Star for years to come. I review my Vision Board at least once a week, and it has not changed in 4 years.

Click here to duplicate my Vision Board template

I added some examples for you to get started. Typically, I have 3 bullet points per section, but some have up to 5. Be as detailed as you can be.

This Vision Board reflects the person you’re going to be. Make it count.

When you’ve outlined who you’re going to be, you need to take account of who you are today.

Review the previous year

Since you’re trying to make actionable Resolutions and improve how this year will turn out, it’s good to reflect on how the previous year went for you.

I usually get pretty crazy and fill out a long document with observations on who I am as a person based on the actions I took last year.

Click here to duplicate my 2021 Observations template

You probably made this face skimming through the outline:

It’s my own forked version of Alex Vermeer’s 8,760 hours.

Yes, there’s a lot of writing ahead of you. It’s okay if this document takes you a couple of days to complete.

I recommend you review this Observations document at the end of every month. This is a snapshot of who you are every year, which might change after you initially record it. It’s interesting to see your gradual transformations at different reflection points throughout the year.

If you’re not about spending days potentially reflecting on your previous year and who you are as a person right now, you can get away with a shorter annual review.

Click here to duplicate my 2021 Annual Review template

You will probably feel pretty good after finishing your annual review. Or you’ll have an existential breakdown after spending 30 minutes looking at the “What is the most important problem in your life right now?” question.

In any case, do your best to capture your thoughts and your top three 2022 Goals at the bottom of the page.

Create your Playbook

So far, you’ve put to paper (or screen) the person you are going to be.

You’ve also typed up what your 2021 looked like, reflecting the most recent incarnation of who you are, because what you do is who you are.

With this information, you can create a Playbook—a living document that connects your future and present selves. Ideally, you will review this once a day after you wake up to help put you in the proper mindset to tackle the day.

Your Playbook is what keeps you aligned with your Vision Board and works as your long-term To-Do list.

The format is split into Outcome Goals and Execution Goals.

Most goals are pretty bad. If you don’t expand on your goals and how you plan to achieve them, they might as well be wishes that will never be granted.

Outcome Goals are your traditional goals. For example, “Get a six-pack by summer” is a typical goal people make around this time that 99% of people always fail to accomplish.

You need to attach an Execution Goal to your Outcome Goal to increase your odds of checking off that goal. For example, “Do 15 minutes of abs at the end of every workout, 6 days a week.”

Click here to duplicate my Playbook template

I gave you some examples of my own Playbook, so you can get a head start on building yours.

Start doing sh*t!

At this point, all that’s left is to take massive action.

You’ve front-loaded a lot of work to ensure a successful year ahead of you.

In your Playbook, you should have also marked some items as habits. You can track these habits in a Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, or Yearly Habit Tracker.

Click here to download my Habit Tracker template

Is this a lot? Sure, but it’s your life, so shouldn’t you put some effort into making sure you're living the best one you can? 🤷‍♂️

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Please let me know if the templates above are helpful. You can access all of them in my handy Notion Templates workspace for future reference.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading! 🙏