How to Motivate Your Employees to Keep Their New Year's Resolutions

So, 2021 has passed us by, and we're now in the year 2024. Another fantastic opportunity to be a better version of ourselves has presented itself. It also implies that your staff has probably already written down their New Year's Resolutions and plastered them on their walls or set them as wallpaper on their workstation.

This trend happens every year. New year, long to-do lists, resolutions, promises to self (and others). There's nothing new about it.

People have been doing it for years.

However, an article from Inc.com states that while 60 percent of Americans make New Year's resolutions, merely 8% end up keeping them. Worse, half of them fail even before the end of January!

Have you ever wondered why so many people fail to keep their New Year's resolutions? Let alone others, have you ever made a sincere effort to find out if your team members are working hard to follow their new year's resolutions?

I won't be surprised if the answer is a clear "No!"

Amidst loads of work pressure and hectic schedules, you can easily ignore the importance of motivating your peers to achieve the goals they set out at the beginning of a new year.

And guess what? Your team members least expect you to show interest in their new year resolutions. You can change this picture in quick time, provided you are ready to embrace vulnerability and emotion in your leadership style.

As a business leader or manager, the new year provides another opportunity to strengthen your relationship with your team by encouraging them to pursue their personal and professional goals with zeal in the coming year.

Five Amazing Motivational Techniques That Leaders Must Implement In 2024

1. Encourage employees to share their goals with the entire team.

For different reasons, many employees do not share their new year resolutions with their colleagues and senior members.

However, as a leader, you should look toward making the experience of goal setting an engaging affair. Encourage every team member to share their goals (personal and professional) and how they would like to improve in the new year. Sharing your new year's resolutions and plans also helps to instill a sense of accountability in people.

If you're in charge of a remote team, you can use powerful team collaboration software to invite everyone to a common platform where they can have casual discussions about their new year's resolutions.

On the other hand, you can take your in-office/hybrid team out for lunch, where you ask every team member to share their goals with others in a casual environment.

2. Openly appreciate their plans and wish them good luck.

This step precedes the previous step.

Once your team members have expressed their desire to make positive changes in their personal and professional lives, you should value their ideas and offer unwavering support to help them achieve their goals. Doing this can boost your employees' morale and encourage them to start their new year resolutions on a bright, positive note.

For example, you could send personalized notes or emails to your employees, wishing them luck with their new year's resolutions. You can also schedule a video call with your dispersed team and send each member your best wishes and support.

3. Provide organizational support (healthy meals, on-job training, fitness sessions, skills development, and more).

When it comes to aiding your employees in sticking to their new year's resolutions, your company may make a big difference. Your organization can assist them through a variety of initiatives, showing that you are just as committed to their goals as they are.

For example, if some of your employees wish to live a healthier lifestyle, you may provide them with healthy, sugar-free lunch and healthy office snack options that are high in fiber and protein. Subsidized gym memberships are another option. Meanwhile, you can arrange on-site job training sessions for employees with professional goals.

4. Regularly check in about their progress on New Year's resolutions.

As mentioned above, only a handful of people can keep their New Year's resolutions.

Some people lack motivation; some give up to frustration of not getting the desired results, while others get busy with other commitments in their professional and personal lives.

Here, leaders have a crucial role to play. By checking in (occasionally) about their progress on new year resolutions, you can act as a gentle reminder as well as a motivator to all your team members.

For example, you can have one-on-one meetings with every team member once a month and ask them what progress they've made on their goals and plans. Also, you can encourage them to share any roadblocks or setbacks they've experienced in pursuing those. See if you can do anything to assist them in overcoming any obstacles.

5. Celebrate success and the small wins.

Success tastes sweeter when celebrated. Yes, your employees have done all the hard work, overcome hurdles, and kept to their new year resolutions.

It's time you celebrate their accomplishments, which will also drive others to pursue their goals. The leader should be the first person to take a forward step, congratulate them, and let them choose the way of their celebration.

For example, you can recognize your employees' achievements in an official email sent to all members of your organization. You can also choose to reward them, which will further boost their morale.

Conclusion

It's easy to make grand plans and create to-do lists for the new year. However, achieving those goals can be a tricky affair as most people tend to give up midway on them.

As an inspiring leader, your job is to motivate your employees when they are stuck. Your strong presence and thoughtful actions can help them achieve their goals for the new year, even when it seems like an uphill task.

So, go ahead, back your team to the hilt, and see how your initiatives can work wonders for them. Happy New Year!

This article is written by Nandini Sharma. Nandini is the Assistant Marketing Manager at ProofHub - a product management tool loved by thousands of teams and businesses across the globe. For any related queries, contact editor@vantagecircle.com.