Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions by Doing Nothing!

by Peter Forint, BA, MBA

Hard to believe, but doing nothing is the best way you can achieve your goals. Sounds like something for nothing? Well, here's the trick: it's the taking of scheduled time for doing "nothing" that really leads to your success.

By scheduling nothing, I mean going to a quiet place, free from interruptions of family, colleagues, cell phones and e-mail. It is a period of time for you and you alone, each and every day to think about and plan for your future.

Regularly scheduled time gives you the permission to slow down so that you can reflect on what's going on, sort out your priorities, and allow your imagination to work out a plan of action.

Spend fifteen to thirty minutes everyday to review what you did all day and to plan your next day. Use a hardcover notebook, for writing down your thoughts and ideas. This isn't a "Dear Diary" journal, but a private place to work out problems and jot down ideas. Very often the simple act of picking up your pen and book tells your mind to switch into the doing nothing mode. Your imagination then has a chance to stand up and be heard.

"But where am I going to find the time?" I hear you ask. It's easier than you think to find fifteen minutes in your day. Turn off the TV. Stop wasting time surfing on your computer. These activities are at best poor escapes with no real rewards.

If you are a morning person, get up half an hour earlier and enjoy the time to yourself while the rest of the house is asleep. Or, if you are a night owl, take some time before going to bed.

Try this for a few weeks. Your improved prioritization of tasks and the occasional "a-ha!" moments will make you much more effective in the time when you're actually doing "something" - such as keeping those New Year's Resolutions!

Peter Forint is Regional Vice-President with Wardell Professional Development, a business coaching and consulting organization serving owner-managed and family run businesses. Email: peter.forint@wardell.biz, GTA: 416-290-5718, Toll Free: 877-290-5718.

Next Article: Get Ready for a More Profitable 2010, by Mark Wardell, President and Founder of Wardell Professional Development.