What creates results: New Years resolutions, goals or habits?
As we step into a new year, I always reflect on the past year, what worked, what did not work, and what did I learn. Over the past 2 months I decided to do something different. I began the reflection process early, in November. From hearing statistics that most New Years resolutions are broken before the end of January, I became curious. Why? From being in the sales arena and studying (and living) high performance success habits over the years, it came clear to me: resolutions are temporary—habits have a lasting impact.
Why does the traditional 'resolution' and intentions fade so quickly? In my experience, resolutions are exciting at first, but they become short-lived because they rely on willpower.
Habits create structure, consistency, and momentum—the real drivers of progress and success in sales, business development, and anywhere that high performance stakes are high.
Goals and habits work together. Goals provide direction. Habits create execution. A goal without a habit is simply a wish, or a 'nice idea.' When you focus on daily behaviors that support your goals, progress becomes measurable and sustainable—even under pressure.
Why Goals + Habits Win
Sales and high performance isn’t about doing more; it’s about doing the right things consistently. Habits reduce decision fatigue, increase confidence, and allow you to perform at a high level regardless of circumstances. This is the foundation of the "Sales Acceleration Code."
Top Tips for Setting Effective Goals
Be specific and measurable – “Increase pipeline by 20%” beats “sell more.” The term 'SMART Goal' means our goals should also be specific, meaningful/measurable, a time based (how many by when? or be tied to a deadline).
Connect goals to purpose – Meaning fuels motivation. Know your Why. As an example, I am going on a cruise in 3 weeks, and my 'why' to recommit to my health and post holiday wellness routine is the thought of getting into my bathing suit!
Focus on behaviors, not outcomes alone – Control what you can execute daily. Choose not to allow emotions to get in the way of starting or stopping. Condition yourself to act in spite of emotion.
Top Tips for Building Winning Habits
Start small – Consistency beats intensity. 2mm steps daily add up to big changes. For example, I started my sales success habits coaching as a 'hobby,' and it grew be part of my career today. Take it 1 day at a time.
Anchor habits to existing routines – Make them easy to adopt. Replace destructive habits with healthy habits. When I quit smoking in college, I replaced it with taking up running and it became a part of my life.
Track progress – What gets measured gets repeated. Keep KPIs (key performance indicators), or a journal. Review progress daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly. Dont wait until the end of the year!
Traps to Avoid
Setting too many goals at once - choose under 10 goals or habits.
Relying on motivation instead of structure - embrace structure, self-discipline, and systems to win.
Expecting immediate results - be patient, celebrate small wins, because no matter how large or small, they are all wins.
Quitting when progress feels slow - get accountability - hire a coach or get an accountability buddy, or join a mastermind/create an accountability group.
The most successful sales professionals and leaders don’t rely on New Year’s resolutions. They build habits that support confidence, discipline, and execution—day after day.
This year, don’t resolve.Commit to habits that accelerate success.
