Resolutions? Nah. Experiment your way to a better year.

“All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make, the better.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

It’s Resolution Time.

We all know what happens. Lofty (or, more likely, leftover) goals are written down with steely determination, naïveté, or simply force of habit. The words “New Year, New You” become practically ubiquitous in the media landscape, and the air is filled with a sort of collective, annual amnesia (do we really not remember what happened last year?)

And what do we do? We resolve. “This is the year I will finally ______,” we tell ourselves, echoing years past. And then, predictably…  life happens.

Our resolve dissolves. And old, ingrained habits reemerge.

This is practically a universal experience. It can sometimes be as little as three weeks (there’s actually a day called Quitter’s Day in January) before our determination fades.  According to a study conducted by the University of Scranton, only 8 percent of people achieve their New Year’s goals.

Are you seeing a trend here? To me, it doesn’t seem like a problem with us. Rather, it’s a problem with resolutions. Why?

Let me count the ways.

They don’t work. They’re usually unpleasant (which is why we haven’t done them before). The goals we set are often too big and the rewards aren’t big enough.

And that’s just for starters.

So, I say enough with the resolutions. I propose a new approach – one that you’ll actually look forward to and learn from… no matter what the results.

New Year’s Experiments.

The only “rules” are: You conceive and control an experiment with a clear and relatively short timeframe (start with a few days or a week or two). Then, keep an open mind and have fun with it!

Let’s consider an example of a resolution: “I’m going on a diet!” How many times have people tried that one and failed? Instead, why not say: “For the next week, I’m going to eat a vegetarian meal once a day.” At the end of the experiment, ask yourself: How was it? Did you enjoy the food? Did you enjoy the meal planning? Did you feel lighter or have more energy? Based on what you learned, would you choose to do anything different moving forward?

Exercise is another popular category of annual oath. This year, instead of “I’m going to get in shape,” or “I’m going to lose 15 pounds,” why not simply say: “For the next few weeks, I’m going to take two or three fitness classes a week.” Or “I’m going to play tennis once a week for the next month.” At the end of your experiment, ask yourself some questions about the experience, what worked, what didn’t, what was enjoyable, and what you learned. Then consider whether you’d like to continue or modify.

The possibilities are practically limitless for experiments. Here are a few more ideas:

• Cook a type of food you’ve never made before
• Reach out to a recruiter to ask questions about potential new career opportunities
• Try three new restaurants with great reviews… and then decide if you want to keep the experiment going
• For an upcoming vacation, go somewhere you’ve never gone before – or plan something that you’ve never done before (and afterward, ask yourself if you’d do it differently next time)
• Speaking of vacations, think about things you’d normally do only when you’re traveling – sightsee, for example, or strike up conversations with people you don’t know – and consider an experiment where you do them at home
• Tell three people you care about how much they mean to you (let them hear the love – and feel it yourself!)
• Make a point of chatting with three people you normally don’t spend time with – then afterwards, consider what you learned and whether future conversations sound like a fun idea

Experiments can not only be illuminating and interesting, they allow us to access one of the most compelling ways to encourage a new behavior: Proof.  Once we know whether something works well, feels good, or delivers a desired result, that action is much more likely to take root – or benefit from further refinements!

Let’s think about it from a different perspective. You know how many companies offer free trials before buying. There’s a reason they do that…  because it works.

It’s a trial – a.k.a. experiment – so people have nothing to lose in giving it a shot. Companies realize that once you try something, you know about it – the trial has replaced expectation (good or bad) with experience. They’re betting that enough people will try it and like it. And then, adopt it.

So why not use this in your own life? Lift the weight of “resolution” and lighten up your New Year with some fun and enlightening experiments.  The best part: You don’t even have to tell anybody if you don’t want… after all, these are your experiments! You’re in control.

So what experiments will you launch this year? Email me at jdeitch@guidetoelevate.com or reach out on Twitter (@JosephDeitch)… I’d love to hear your ideas!