Author’s Note ~
This essay was originally posted on January 2, 2009.
After considering what to write this last week of 2009, I decided to re-post this essay with only minor updates.
It seemed to me that re-visiting the information contained in this essay might help us to address the tasks ahead of us in 2010 with a bit more focus. That being the case, I trust that you will find the information I share today to be useful as you prepare for the upcoming new year and new decade!
Happy New Year!
Whew! The New Year is finally here! So many have written so much
about just getting through 2009 in hopes of turning things around in
2010! Let’s face it, 2009 was a real booger bear of a year on all
fronts! I don’t know of a person on the planet that was not affected in
some way by the multiple “mean times” experienced over the last
twelve months! Perhaps the New Year will bring with it winds that will
blow a different way for us all.
But . . . wait a minute! Who am I kidding? Doesn’t EVERY year
carry the same possibilities — the same opportunities — the same
potential? Are we likely to go through an entire year that is completely
happy in the sense that we tend to think of happiness? Doesn’t every year
hold surprises for us — surprises both difficult and exciting at the same
time? Doesn’t every year await our action? In that light,
“Happy New Year” becomes a greeting exchanged as the calendar marks
the turning of yet another 365 days (unless of course we are in a Leap
Year)! “Happy New Year” often scurries
down its “hidey hole” at its first encounter with
reality only to reappear at the next changing of the Time Guard.
I’m really not being negative here — truly! I would just like to
alter our wishes for a Happy New Year into determinations more useful and
lasting. Care to join me?
The Proverbial
New Year’s Resolutions
Right off the bat, New Year’s Resolutions hit us in the face! I used
to make them; however, I have determined that making simple resolutions becomes
a rather futile attempt to exert control over the yet to be determined outcome
of a year in waiting!
I challenge you to do a little Googling on New Year’s Resolutions! You’ll
find all sorts of stats to indicate the almost inherent uselessness of such
endeavors! In all fairness, there are some who find ways to positively
spin resolutions — but the vast majority of articles and blogs point to the
ultimate failure of resolutions.
Well, if resolutions are not the answer, then what is? Glad you asked
(even if you didn’t)!
Let’s Move to
Goal-Setting
Now you’re talking! Setting goals! That’s the ticket
— well, that’s a better ticket than merely spouting off
resolutions!
At least when we set goals, we actually are forced to examine what we want
to accomplish, in what time-frame, for what purposes, in what manner,
etc. We are even forced to establish contingency plans in some instances
in case our original goals become victim to life’s sidetracking!
Goal-setting holds some rather convincing advantages over making resolutions
that often have no teeth whatsoever.
Research points to the likelihood of more success when one sets a goal and
actually writes that goal down on paper! Go ahead, set some goals for the
New Year! Spend time pouring over the areas of your life that demand
attention and change! Read and research all you can about effective
goal-setting and then purpose to follow the advice you glean from your
activities. I have no doubt that you will experience more success in your
life than if you didn’t.
As much as goal-setting ramps up the possibilities for success, I am still
not convinced we have found the strategy that holds the power to make 2010
truly different from any we have experienced. “OK, Baldy — what do YOU
think can help us?” I guess you know I’m gonna
answer that one, don’t you? Here goes!
Just ONE THING!
I don’t know about you, but sometimes when I participate in goal-setting
activities, I get lost in the goal itself. You know what I mean —
crafting the perfect goal or goals as the case may be! I detail all the
steps; lay out all the contingencies; establish all the parameters; determine
all the intended outcomes. Then I go about the business of getting lost
in the details. I know, I know — many of you already have ready answers
to my faulty goal-setting system just chomping at the bits to be shared.
Well, let’s hold on just a minute. I have an idea that I think addresses
MY issues — and perhaps yours as well — as they relate to accomplishing what
I desire to accomplish in this New Year.
I call my plan ONE THING! Simple enough don’t you think? ONE
THING — just ONE! I recently posed a question on Twitter related
to what one thing a person might focus on in order to accomplish
a specific purpose and received some rather interesting feedback in the
process. Most of it focused on establishing goals rather than resolutions
— an exercise I’ve already briefly addressed. Other responders wondered
what they could do if they had MORE THAN ONE THING to address in their lives.
I realized that my ONE THING plan needed to be explained a little
better. Often as I struggle with life, I find myself reducing my
tasks to the lowest common denominator in order to determine the steps
necessary to successfully address my personal challenges. Through the
years, I have found that asking people to focus on just one thing for a
specific period of time often provides keys for them to get a handle on their
situation and feel more confident in their ability to find answers.
Here is how the ONE THING plan works. Ask yourself, “What is one thing I can
do consistently over the next (you fill in the time period) that will
likely create the kind of change I wish to achieve?” You see? ONE
THING! It’s just that simple — but if you look under the surface,
the simplicity is deceiving.
Take, for example, a student struggling with grades in school. I would
ask that student to determine “one thing” he would be
willing to do over a set period of time on a daily basis
that might help him earn stronger grades. For a business person, I would
ask her to determine “one thing” she would be willing
to devote action to over a set period of time on a daily
basis in order to get a handle on a specific business challenge facing
her. For a married couple, I would ask them to come up with “one
thing” they would be willing to do together over a
set period of time on a daily basis in order to strengthen
their relationship.
Get the picture? That “one thing”becomes the
touch point — the driving force — the baseline for all other actions
taken. Now in all fairness, I understand that we have multiple arenas
that demand our attention. I am not necessarily saying that “just
one thing” will impact multiple areas at once(although I believe there is
extreme merit in this possibility). I am saying however, that focusing
our attention on just one thing can teach us the power of
concentration — a lesson that can then be applied to other areas of life as
well.
Perhaps you desire to apply this plan to your the mental, physical,
emotional, social, spiritual, relational, professional or personal areas of
your life! Go ahead! Knock yourself out! But remember,
concentrate on just one thing in each area — not several things in each area!
How Might This
Work?
In order to provide groundwork for your experiment with the ONE THING
plan, let’s look at an example. Suppose I determine that I want to lose
ten pounds. Instead of proclaiming it as a resolution or working out a
detailed goal, what if I simply determined to write down everything I eat on a
daily basis and do so for a month? That one action — employed
consistently each day — will provide valuable information about what I need to
do next in my process. I will have hard data from which to determine my
next ONE THING to do in order to lose ten pounds! See how this might
work?
The Formula
I would like to outline the basic formula for the ONE THING plan so
that we can get started today!
- Determine which area (or
areas if you are adventurous) you want to address first. Will you
choose the personal, professional, mental, spiritual, emotional, social or
relational area? The really cool thing is that YOU get to choose! - Once you have selected the
area of your life on which you wish to concentrate, spend some time going
over action options you have available to you in addressing
your chosen area. - Decide which action step to
which you will commit on a daily basis and for how long you will engage in
the determined action. - Write down your intended
outcome — what you anticipate you will accomplish at the end of the
time-frame. - Be ready to congratulate
yourself for what will happen as a result of your investment!
Now I am the first to recognize that some of us may stumble a time or two in
the process. In light of that possibility, be ready to forgive yourself
and get back on the wagon immediately! No problem!
Final Thoughts
Hey! If making resolutions works for you, SUPER! Go ahead and
make ’em until the cows come home! If you prefer setting goals and have a
sure-fire system in place, by all means continue on with your tried and true
plan! However, if you are interested in giving a different plan a chance
to work its magic, then simply determine to apply the principles of the ONE
THING plan and see what happens!
I would love to hear from those of you who take up this challenge.
Help me fine-tune this plan so that others can benefit from your
experience! Thanks in advance for your assistance!
Until next time . . . Peace . . . and Success!
Mark
Copyright 2009
Mark E. Hundley
