Dear Reader: How are those New Year’s resolutions coming along?

As the new year kicks into its rhythmic stride, you may either be spot on with your resolutions as front and center goals or just like that new gym membership that’s trailing off, they may be getting a little dusty.

According to research conducted by Michelle Rozen, Ph.D., speaker, consultant and author of “The 6% Club: Unlock the Secret to Achieving Any Goal and Thriving in Business and in Life,” the vast majority of us — 94% — abandon our goals within the first two months. So, by the end of February if your goals have slipped away from reach, you’re among the majority.

The good news? You can get back on track. Let’s dive in by looking at what may deter you and then how you can stay focused to begin chipping away at those resolutions.

Chris Bailey, productivity expert and author of “Intentional: How to Finish What You Start,” said, “The procrastination research is revealing. It turns out there are six triggers a project can have that make us procrastinate. Those are when something is boring, unpleasant, frustrating, unstructured, far off in the future and meaningless. So, we need to compare our long-term goals against these triggers. They’re usually full of them!”

For instance, let’s look at the mundane task of doing taxes. Bailey said, “Can you make a game out of the task by seeing how many receipts you can gather in 10 minutes and try to beat your record? This makes them more pleasant and less boring. Or make them less frustrating by pairing them with a fancy latte?”

Another strategy involves assessing manageable time. Bailey recommended determining a “resistance level.” For instance, maybe you want to write a novel and start by writing four times a week for an hour before your work day begins, but that’s daunting. Instead, consider the smallest amount you’re willing to start with in the first place. If an hour’s too long or unmanageable, dial it down maybe it’s 20 or 30 minutes. Make it a consistent habit and perhaps you can ramp it up to that initial 60-minute time block. “Often, finishing isn’t about motivation — it’s about lowering resistance,” said Bailey.

Also, consider jotting down your goal list for work and life. Bailey looks at his every Sunday to make “greater progress in the week ahead and decide exactly how I’ll work toward my goals. If you do this, you’ll probably find what I have: that you’ll reflect more on your goals too. This helps you, over time, better consider which goals are truly worthwhile. And which ones may be worth dropping.”

Overall, being intentional is critical on two levels. “Intentionality is key not only to becoming more productive but to achieving what matters,” said Bailey. “We don’t always follow through with our intentions. But when we do achieve something? There was always an intention behind what we’re doing. In this way, intentions don’t just help us get more of what we want. They make life more meaningful. Research backs this up.”

Tribune News Service