The Difference Between Goals and Resolutions

Here’s a link to a nice article from the January issue of Fast Company. It’s written by Chip and Dan Heath, the authors of Made to Stick. Some key points if you don’t have time to read the entire article:

What’s fun about goals is the end point, the completion. If your goal is to “grow sales by 13% in the Southeast region,” and you nail it, you’re ecstatic. What’s fun about resolutions, on the other hand, is the announcement. Think of a stereotypical offsite meeting where a team has the sudden epiphany: What we really need to do is “Amaze the Customer!” That’s a resolution, and its unveiling probably feels as good to the team members as their new-year illusions of running triathlons or spending more time with their kids.

Add publicity and accountability to a resolution, and you get a goal. At Microsoft, for instance, employees set ambitious goals for themselves each year, called “commitments,” that are created in consultation with their peers and supervisors and later made public. Peer pressure, or even just peer awareness, is a powerful motivating factor.

To keep goals from becoming resolutions, also keep an eye on your social environment. A recent New York Times article showcased research that suggests “obesity is contagious.” (The stock price at Hardee’s parent company probably skyrocketed.) The research showed that if you hang around fat people, you’ll get fatter.

You won’t find it surprising that I think CrossFit can definitely help you in all 3 of these areas. First off, we are focused on results. On day one you will do a benchmark workout and that workout will be repeated every couple of weeks so you can see you are getting faster and stronger. Eventually, you will work your way up to the more intense benchmarks. Along the way, we’ll let everyone know about your progress, the achieving of your goals. There’s not much joy in celebrating alone. At CrossFit, you don’t have to.

In regards to step number two, publicity and accountability, we are going to be stepping it up big time. We want to know everyone’s goals. We plan to post them in the gym and use the power of the group to keep you focused and on track. (And once again, when you achieve your goals, we’re all gonna help you celebrate).

The last quote may be the most important. You are who you hang around with. A study once concluded that most people’s net worth is roughly equivalent to the average of their 5 closest friends. At CrossFit, we all have goals that involve being fit and healthy. If you commit to being a part of that community, being fit and healthy is an almost necessary byproduct.

If you haven’t already done so, click on the link, set some specific, measurable goals and get on down to CrossFitHB to share them with us so we can help you make them reality.