‘The Key to Success’ and where to get one?

Well, if only Google could point us in the right direction or Amazon deliver – then we’d all be fulfilled, wouldn’t we? But finding ‘The Key to Success’ just isn’t that simple is it? Every January, people think about the year that’s passed and think about one that lies ahead, often making New Year Resolutions that they hope will shape their future and deliver the right level of desired ‘Life-Success and Fulfilment’.

However, apparently 88% of those who set those New Year’s Resolutions fail. And judging by that statistic your 2020 resolutions are already just a speck in your rear-view mirror and it’s only January 5^th – what on earth happened? Were they even possible? Were they empty promises? Were you new to the concept?

You see, ‘The New Year Resolution’ isn’t a new concept as the Babylonians and Romans made then to used to make similar promises at the start of their New Year and I wonder if they had a better success rate than 12%. Who knows eh? – But I bet they did, don’t you?

So why are we so rubbish at sticking to our New Year Resolutions today? Maybe it’s a lack of:-

Desire

Well if there’s only a 12% pass rate that most people are aware of – why even bother? I mean who is going to gamble against that kind of odds? How many people can actually say they’ve made and kept to their promise of January 1 for a whole year or longer?

Ambition

It’s normally set astronomically high – to an impossible goal. Or one that’s so easy, that it’s not even a challenge. For instance, a non-swimmer pledging to swim the channel against a non-drinker pledging to do ‘Dry January’ is a perfect example of the dichotomy of the Resolution. FYI, Swimming the Channel missed my list this year again and I’m determined to keep it that way beyond 2020.

Determination

And talking of determination – I believe, People give in far too easily. I mean what’s the point if you are going to give up within a few days or even within a few hours of the New Year. Most resolutions are food, smoking or alcohol abstinence based and with a 22% going cold turkey pass rate on smoking alone at any time of the year – it’s not surprising that even January 2nd sees even the most determined on January 1st reach out for a crafty biscuit, beer or cigarette.

Peer Pressure

This is a real bugbear for me as determination isn’t usually projected from those around us – it’s usually the complete opposite. I’ve lost count over my years of sobriety at how many times I’ve been offered ‘just the one, as one won’t hurt’, when it’s been well known that I’ve been upholding a resolution since 1994.

Promise

You see, the promises that are made aren’t strong enough. There’s no retribution or punishment from caving into craving, just a brief feeling of self-failure – without the grief. And the quickly forgotten resolution, remains forgotten until the following January to be remembered and forgotten once again.

So, you ask, what’s the answer? Well the answer to ‘The Key to Success’, is YOU. But then I expect you’d already guessed I’d say that. If you want to get one, well that’s down to how much you want whatever it is you desire or however much you want to change – It’s kinda Easy when it’s put that way. Yes, easy to say but downright impossible if you don’t have all the ingredients of success to hand and have the right recipe. 

An impossible task when the ingredients and the recipe aren’t known.

But it’d not all gloom here. Tom Hanks made it up the beach against all odds in Saving Private Ryan and we have a 12% success rate here, so it’s not impossible to achieve your dreams. You just need to want it more than anything else in the world. A lot more. And as one of the people that can hand on heart, shout out a story of a New Year Resolution Story of Success, then I can only say that it’s my greatest achievement to date in all of my 57 years and it will continue being that way to the grave as I’m never, ever going to break my 26 years (9496 days) today, clean run of alcohol abstinence.

Looking at the New Year with a fresh 2020 vision and with Desire, Ambition and Determination all at record levels, I’m going to continue with my Resolution of 1994 and would love to hear of your plans both for the year ahead and for your continued Resolution Success. 

And if you are planning for some changes to your current behavioural process and need some help in keeping to your new Resolution, then I’m here to help as I’m pretty good at doing that.

Become a 12% Winner this Year!

1,050 Marathons, 255 Ultras, 9 Guinness World Records, 15 Marathon des Sables

25 Years' of Marathon Running & 26 Years' Nicotine and Alcohol-Free