The Leading Edge: New Year’s Resolutions
“Rather than setting goals or New Year’s resolutions, why not design a plan for your life?”
– Ty Dye, certified John Maxwell Team Coach, Speaker & Trainer
New Year’s Resolutions are mystical wishes that last less than 7 days only to return the following year with no results. We have all set resolutions in the past; things like losing weight, exercising, or getting finances in order are some of the most common. Yet, year after year, the same resolutions continue to produce the same non-existence results. Resolutions just don’t work.
In his book, 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, John Maxwell teaches about the Law of Reflection. He simply shares that experience is not the best teacher, but rather it is evaluated experience that is the best teacher. This idea and understanding of the Law of Reflection allowed me to begin to make some major changes in my goal setting processes. But it wasn’t until I had the opportunity to learn from John directly at one of the International Maxwell Certification live events that this law came to life.
John Maxwell showed us how to apply the Law of Reflection and learn from it in a way I never dreamt possible. During a mentorship breakout session, John played the movie Lincoln by Daniel Day-Lewis for us and stopped the movie at each scene to share the leadership law, lesson, or principle that was used during that time. The movie came to life for me in an all new way, and so did learning from history. Before this I often wondered, ‘What was the one thing that made Abraham Lincoln such an impactful leader?’ Throughout the movie, John shared dozens of leadership lessons and leadership styles demonstrated by Lincoln. He pointed out how Lincoln used the influence of others to connect, and compared it to Ronald Reagan’s ability to reach across the aisle. I knew John defined leadership as influence, nothing more and nothing less, but John taught us how Lincoln actually used his leadership ability to leverage the influence of others. He said, “Great leaders don’t ask for agreement, they just ask for help.”
I recognized Lincoln was a great leader because he was a consensus builder; and then I began to look at history lessons in a new way. John showed us how to evaluate experiences and pull the lessons out to be applied. I have really enjoyed all the new learning from history that I have been able to uncover since this lesson. When it comes to New Year’s resolutions in particular, I have found a great lesson from the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Like Lincoln, FDR was great at utilizing the influence of others.
FDR is credited for the 100-Day Plan concept, which is how every president since has been measured. When he took office in 1933 the U.S. was facing The Great Depression and FDR brought forth an agenda called The New Deal. During his inaugural speech, Roosevelt said, “This nation asks for action, and action now. Our greatest primary task is to put people to work. I am prepared under my constitutional duty to recommend the measures that a stricken nation in the midst of a stricken world may require.”
FDR created an infectious spirit of optimism in the country and was able to get buy-in and support from both political parties in the same manner Lincoln did. His leadership and plan for the New Deal guided the United States out of the Great Depression.
What did FDR do and what can we learn from it?
- Assess – Determine where you are (The Great Depression & uncertainty)
- Prioritize – Identify what is important (“Our greatest primary task is to put people to work”)
- Implement – Define what steps must be taken (FDR establishes the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC))
- Delegate – Determine who is responsible (Created an inner circle – Administration)
- Accountability – Keep visible, review and adjust (Roosevelt hosted “Fireside Chat” radio shows)
FDR’s 100 Day plan demonstrates a simple formula that you can use to create a 100-Day Plan that sets your life, your business, and your future on the road to a better tomorrow. Rather than setting goals or New Year’s resolutions, why not design a plan for your life? The 100-Day Plan is used to set the course of an entire country, why not use the same formula to design your success?
About Ty:
Ty Dye (yes, that’s really his name) has been an entrepreneur for over 20 years and has built many successful companies in several industries. He is a certified coach, speaker, and trainer with the John Maxwell Team as well as a certified human behavior consultant. Ty has had the privilege of training and coaching in several countries, and helped hundreds of entrepreneurs unlock limits in their lives. Ty and his wife Trish (also a certified Maxwell coach) are the owners and founders of Unlock Limits Coaching Group in the Portland, OR metropolitan area. Ty is an entrepreneur coach focused on helping business owners create the life they desire while avoiding the many blind spots and distractions they face. Unlock Limits Coaching Group’s team of coaches and consultants support small and mid-size business owners in increasing profits, performance, and function.
If you want to find out more from Ty check him out at: www.unlocklimits.com