Early December is not typically when you read articles or blogs about New Year’s resolutions. Normally, we see these a few days before the New Year or in the first week of January as if that’s the only time it’s acceptable to think about a New Year. So, this year, I’m going to break the mold and ask you to think about your New Year’s resolution now.

Since we have more time to develop our perfect resolution, we are going to call it a Strategic Resolution, as opposed to a New Year’s resolution. There is a huge difference between the two types of resolutions. The typical New Year’s resolution is something we don’t put much thought into. We don’t think it through or count the cost. We don’t do any research or become informed. We don’t fully commit or tell anyone about it. So we shouldn’t be surprised when a typical New Year’s resolution fails to materialize.  

But now that we have plenty of time to develop our Strategic Resolution for 2022, we can put some thought into it. We can think it through and count the cost. We can do some research and become informed. And we can fully commit and tell someone about it. 

Our goal between now and Dec. 31 is to think ⁠— really think ⁠— about something you want to accomplish in 2022. What is it that, if you really put your mind to it and stayed committed, would be significant in your life? This may be something that is already on your mind but that you haven’t fully committed to yet. Or you may find this to be an opportunity to commit to something new that you hadn’t thought of previously. Either way, the goal is to move whatever “this” is from our wish list to our commitment list. 

If you’d like to share your Strategic Resolution with me, shoot me an email at Phil@GrowTheBench.com. 

It is a best practice to let someone close to you know about your Strategic Resolution so they can encourage you and provide some accountability. This is true, especially if it’s something that’s going to require assistance from them.   

I’ve made my Strategic Resolution for 2022. Would you like to know what it is? I’m not opposed to sharing it with you, but it requires you to be in person on my deck in Grand Rapids, Mich., preferably with a fine cigar. 

Now go forth.