Ask Coach Tony: How Do I Get My Resolutions Back On Track?

In Ask Coach Tony, you can put my Operation Melt coaching to the test by asking me questions about how to achieve your goals.

Because a question asked by one is often a question had by many, I am regularly sharing these answers via the Operation Melt blog.

Amuse-Bouche

Before we jump into today's post, I offer you this "dad joke" as a light "amuse-bouche" to entertain your mind before we get serious. Like any other amuse-bouche, you may hate it, but it is worth every penny you paid for it, right?

A fun fact I have learned about life is that it's a 5-minute walk from my house to my closest bar. However, it's a 35-minute walk home. The difference is staggering.

Ask Coach Tony: How Do I Get My Resolutions Back On Track?

Coach Tony: I always set New Year’s Resolutions, which seldom work for me. This year is no different. I set a couple of resolutions and was doing great for the first week or two. Then my progress stalled, and I am no longer on track at all. But this year’s resolutions are important to me, and I want to succeed. How can I get my resolutions back on track?

Don’t panic; you’re not alone. New year’s resolutions have been studied ad nauseam, and these studies all come to similar conclusions: they don’t work. About two-thirds of resolutions die within the first month. The fact that you only kept yours for the first week or two means you are…. Well… Normal!

Before talking about getting back on track, I wanted to share a few links. The following are some previous Operation Melt blog posts that discuss my disdain for and updated approach to New Year’s Resolutions. I think these previous posts may be a valuable tool for you.

Alright… back to our main event.

Your resolutions are off-track; how can you turn them around? You just have to remember the word “MELT,” and you’ll be well on your way. In this case, “MELT” is an acronym for a four-point strategy to get you back on track.

Mindset:

When you encounter any setback in your life, the first step is to get your mind into a good place for course corrections. Start by forgiving yourself; setbacks happen and are a step in the success process. Remind yourself that, “I had a setback, that’s ok… I can do hard things… I’ve got this!”

Examine:

Once you are in a good mental place to get back to your goals, the next step is to figure out why you had the setback. Did you stop doing the work? What got in your way? Did you do the work, but it didn’t yield the right results? Did you simply set a big, aspirational resolution without a plan to get there? Whatever answer you come up with is fine as long as it is honest. By identifying what sidetracked you, this obstacle will likely become more avoidable in the future.

Leverage What Works:

Here’s a bit of good news for you… you don’t have to figure this out yourself. There are tons of resources that can help you bridge the gap from resolutions to successes. I am, of course, partial to Operation Melt as a tool to help you.

Leveraging my six-step goal success process will help set you up for success and give you the tools to stay the course:

Set SMART Goals: instead of resolutions, focus on setting goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-based. Relevance is a particularly critical attribute for your goals. They have to actually matter to you. If you want some help getting started with building effective SMART goals, please consider downloading my free Goal Success Quick Start Guide eBook today.
Build a Plan that Works for You: having a goal isn’t enough; you need a plan. Just make sure that your plan actually works with who you are.
Measure Progress Every Day: when you have your plan and you’re starting to move, track your progress daily. This critical accountability tool will help you stay on track and make course corrections when needed.
Plan Ahead for Problems: speaking of course corrections, preparing ahead of time for these problems will keep them from sidelining you when they inevitably emerge.
Don’t Go It Alone: partners, partners, partners! Building a team of accountability partners and trusted experts who will help you remain focused on your goal… don’t trust willpower alone.
Enjoy the Journey: remember that you are trying to live your happiest, most fulfilled life… so make the process fun and don’t make it suck.

Take One Step at a Time:

I saved the most important step for last….

Have you ever heard the old adage that asks, “how do you eat an elephant?” The answer: one bite at a time. This saying is a reminder that big things are achieved one bite at a time.

Like the proverbial elephant, you don’t have to, and can’t, accomplish your goal all at once. You can only reach your destination by taking one small step after another.

It’s time to ask yourself, “what one step can I take today that will move me closer to the life of my dreams?” Then, take that step! Repeat this process tomorrow and the next day, and the next day until you are where you want to be.

Just because you weren’t immediately successful with your resolutions doesn’t mean your goal is out of reach. By taking a few easy steps and following my MELT strategy, you can get back on track and build more momentum than you ever thought possible.

Want a bonus fifth step? Enlisting me as your coach can help you convert your wish list into attainable goals. I can help you build a plan tailored to your individual needs. Plus, I can be an accountability partner to help you keep yourself on track and overcome hiccups along the way. Learn more about how it works in the coaching section of OperationMelt.com.

I believe in you… I hope you do too!

Ask Me Anything!

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Meet Coach Tony

My name is Coach Tony, and I am a coach, author and project manager on a mission. I am working to build a world where no goal ever dies of loneliness.

I almost allowed one of my biggest life goals to die without ever being attempted for forty years. My goal almost died, not of failure but of loneliness. But, I took a risk and leveraged a simple, logical process that helped me wildly exceed my goal.

I transformed my life, and you can do the same with the help of Operation Melt.

Operation Melt provides engaging, practical content and hands-on coaching to inspire, motivate and equip project managers and other left-brained high-achievers to pursue and accomplish their biggest goals.

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