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Elegant & curated articles by Omar M Almahmoud, selected from his daily writings and reading list in life, business and self improvement. All republished articles are owned by their original authors. The articles are reblogged here under Fair Use for educational and non commercial purposes.

Don't Make a New Year Resolution. Create a Start-Stop-Continue Plan Instead

It’s natural to look for a fresh start when we’re seeking change. A new calendar year, fiscal year, or new job can provide the impetus for trying something new. It’s a positive opportunity.

The problem is that we often neglect the broader context. That’s why research shows that half of all adults make New Year’s Resolutions, but only about 10% follow-through for more than a few months. Too many people think that if they just decide what they want to change – create a “resolution” for change – things will shift.

Change isn’t easy. We need to modify mindsets. We need to break personal habits. We need to shift the cultures of our teams and organizations.

That’s why I recommend going beyond the New Year’s Resolution. Instead, create a Start-Stop-Continue plan.

A Start-Stop-Continue plan is a simple yet powerful tool.  By identifying things to start doing, stop doing, and continue doing, it becomes possible to build upon what’s already working while discontinuing what’s hasn’t been contributing to success. By consciously stopping specific activities, it also becomes possible to free up time and resources to focus on new things that will have an even greater impact.

Here’s a free template anyone can use to create their plan, which is based on the following questions:

  1. START:  What will you START doing to be more effective and accomplish your goals?
  2. STOP:  What will you STOP doing to free up time and resources and create greater focus?
  3. CONTINUE: What will you CONTINUE doing that’s working well?

In full disclosure, this change management template comes from upBOARD, a company I co-founded that’s creating the world’s largest library of online business process tools and apps. The best way to use the template is to first gain input on the questions from others, including colleagues, your manager and anyone else whose input you value. Then, complete the template. Share your results with others and then update your Start, Stop and Continue items based on any additional feedback.

The New Year provides the opportunity for a new lease on our mindsets and behavior. What will you start doing, stop doing and continue doing to make the next year better than the last?

Published on: Dec 18, 2019

The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

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This article was originally posted at https://www.inc.com/soren-kaplan/dont-make-a-new-year-resolution-create-a-start-stop-continue-plan-instead.html

 

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