Resolutions, schmezolutions. <– That’s how I feel.
And I must not be alone because, according to a 2017 article from Business Insider, “80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by February.”
While this statistic kind of bums me out, it doesn’t surprise me.
When I’ve set resolutions for myself in the past, I’ve completely bailed on them.
But… I know why. And as the wise sage GI Joe tells us, “Knowing is half the battle.”
What’s more, I have a cunning plan for how you can use the reasons resolutions fail to help your clients succeed. And to land even more of your dream clients in 2019.
So let’s dig in!

Why New Year’s Resolutions Fail

I like to think that my resolutions failed me, not the other way around.
What I mean by that is I used to make resolutions without any basis in reality.
They suffered from three huge problems:

  1. I tried to start too many resolutions at the same time.
  2. I didn’t know how to do some of my resolutions.
  3. I tried to go it alone and got overwhelmed and discouraged.

Trying to change too many things too quickly is a recipe for failure, right?
–> “This is the year I wake up at 6 am and exercise 5 days a week, stop eating meat, cook every meal from scratch, lose my belly fat, and write every day!”
There’s no way I could successfully focus on all of those new behaviors at the same time.
Now, I probably could have achieved all of those things over the course of a year. I would have to learn how to do them and then build new habits to do them effectively. Which points to the second problem: these are not the kinds of things you can just decide to do and then do every day.
Let’s look back at that list. Hmmm, I don’t actually know how to lose belly fat. In order to achieve that goal, I would first have to understand the steps to take. That might require research, expert input, and the introduction of a lot of new habits.
Even something as seemingly simple as “wake up at 6 am” could be tricky. I mean, I know how to set my alarm, but what if I keep snoozing it? Or what if I get up, but I crash by 4 pm and start overloading myself with caffeine?
Even the most straightforward-sounding resolution can prove hard to execute if we don’t have the knowledge required for success.
The third problem was that I would simply lose motivation. I would start out gung-ho, full of energy and sass. But without encouragement and support, it was easy to lose steam. Especially since I was trying to pay attention to so many new things at once!
Have you had this experience?
It’s frustrating…
…and it’s how your current and potential clients feel all the time!

Your Customers Need Your Expertise

Your potential customers are experiencing New Year’s resolution fatigue All. Year.Long.
Think about it. Ideal clients for you are people who want to make a change in your area of specialty, whether that’s learning meditation, branding their business, or finally getting Fido to poop outside and stop eating your favorite plant.
Your soon-to-be clients have resolved over and over again that this will be the year they finally stop what’s not working for them and start doing what they know would serve them better.
But…

  1. They try to go from 0 to 60 and feel frustrated when it doesn’t work.
  2. They’re not sure how to get success.
  3. They get discouraged and give up.

Whether you help people get healthy, pay off debt, rekindle the spark in their relationships, or resolve past trauma, your people are out there! They want to make a change in their lives. And they’re completely overwhelmed about how to do it.
They feel lost and discouraged.
They don’t know how to start.
They start, but then they don’t know what to do next.
Your potential customers are waiting for something to come along and make this year different from every other year before.
That’s you! You can show up with the (re)solutions they need and be the hero!
Imagine wanting to get out of debt and getting a resolution list from Dave Ramsey.
Imagine wanting to start a vegan lifestyle and getting a resolution list from Chris Karr.
Imagine wanting to explore and expand your creativity and getting a resolution list from Elizabeth Gilbert.
You are Dave Ramsey. You are Chris Karr. You are Elizabeth Gilbert. You are [insert your favorite expert here.]
You have the knowledge, expertise, and compassionate support to help your potential customers finally achieve their resolutions and live the lives they’ve dreamed of. 

How to Write New Year’s Resolutions for Your Clients

When it comes to writing out resolutions for your clients, you can approach it in a few different ways.
You might list your clients’ biggest dreams as a list of goals to achieve for the year.

  • What do you they wish they could achieve?
  • What have they been seeking?
  • What would success look like?
  • What are they ready to experience?

Or, you might help them focus on some new habits that will help them achieve bigger goals. For example, maybe meditating at bedtime will increase their chances of waking up at 6 am.
Once you’ve got your resolution list, put it on your blog. You can… 

  • Put your resolution list into a How-To or Quick Win blog post telling people how to do each step.
  • Use the list as the foundation for a Flagship blog post about the big WHY behind all these actions.
  • Create a Resource-Round-up post where each resolution links to a different blog post you’ve already published so readers can get a tour of all your helpful content.

Whichever approach you take, the secret is to talk in your customers’ language. Use the words and descriptions they would. Name their thoughts and feelings.
These sentence recipes are super helpful:
✍ “I resolve to stop… so I no longer be/do/have/feel…”
✍ “I resolve to start… so I can be/do/have/feel…”
✍ “I resolve to [action] even though… [fear].”

  • Use clear, specific actions for the start/stop part.
  • Use ouchy pain points for the “so I no longer” section.
  • Use drool-worthy results and benefits for the “so I can” section.
  • Use vivid but compassionate descriptions to name the fears.

Want to see an example? Here are the New Year’s Resolutions I wrote for you!
 

 
(You can download them here.)
Your customers will be thrilled because you’re telling them EXACTLY how to take small steps toward real transformation.
You’re also helping them imagine what life will look like after they’ve committed to making a change.
They’ll start the year feeling hopeful, happy, and ready to take action toward their goals.
Which means they’ll be more likely to attend your webinar, sign up for your free resource, watch your Facebook Live, read your blog… and all that good stuff that puts them on the path to working with you.
You’re giving them a clear vision and the momentum they need to make this year different. Finally.

Take Action

Go write new year’s resolutions for your clients!
Because right now, your people have this beautiful, fresh, hopeful feeling as the new year starts. (And before February hits.)
But they may not know what to do with it. And you can help! ?
If you create a list of resolutions, please share it! Write it up in the comments below or drop a link to the post or video you end up writing. I’d love to see what you come up with!
And if you’re not sure about what ouchy pain points or drool-worthy results to use, let’s brainstorm together! This is my specialty!