10 Most Common New Year's Resolutions & Why People Fail to Keep Them

LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire - Nov 14, 2011) - Paul David Walker, business advisor to mid-sized and Fortune 500 CEOs, founder of Genius Stone Partners and author of Unleashing Genius: Leading Yourself, Teams and Corporations, knows the secret to keeping resolutions and effecting personal and business changes.

According to Time magazine, most Americans have made -- and broken -- one of the following most popular New Year's Resolutions:

1. Lose weight and get fit.
2. Quit smoking.
3. Learn something new.
4. Eat healthier and diet.
5. Get out of debt and save money.
6. Spend more time with family.
7. Travel to new places.
8. Be less stressed.
9. Volunteer.
10. Drink less.

Even with the best of intentions, people often fail to achieve the changes they most want to execute in their lives. What are they doing wrong? When Paul David Walker works with company leaders, he frequently points out that asking for improved profits, growing sales or a stronger valuation isn't enough. They attach a number to their hopes and expect the entire company to muster up the motivation to hit their target. But numbers alone aren't compelling. Paving a path to inevitable success requires a leader to paint a compelling picture of an outcome and its benefits, including "what, why and how." The number is just the "what." Put the "why" and the "how" into a vivid picture, and state it not in the future, but in the present:

"This company is not participating in the recession, because we know it's an opportunity to take market share from weaker competitors and rise with the tide when the market eventually picks up. We find the opportunities that our competitors cannot or will not execute. We remind our customers of the benefits of working with us each week, create a win/win scenario amongst our customers, vendors and ourselves so that we will all gain market share together."

Notice how stating a vision in the present tense makes the intention more powerful and true, and it decreases the inclination to use the future tense to procrastinate. Here's another example. No one feels motivated to lose 25 pounds by focusing on the number 25 -- the "what." They achieve weight loss by focusing on the vision of what it would feel like to lose that 25 pounds and how they intend to do so:

"I am a thin, energetic person who is naturally lean and active. I love aerobics and yoga, and I find activities that lead to perfect health. I eat high-energy, low-calorie foods that fuel my strength and stimulate my taste buds with half of what I used to eat. I see myself flying down the bike path with grace and ease, looking like an athlete. I feel young and vibrant again."

Whatever the statement, it must be synergistic with who the writer is at their core, not some ridiculous fantasy. The kicker is, Walker really did lose 25 pounds this year by following this plan. At 64 years old, it feels like a glorious accomplishment that he made his life match that statement to an incredible degree in just a year's time. But he did it by creating a vision that inspired him every step of the way -- something good leaders can use in motivating their teams to achieve any business goal.

For in-depth advice and rock-solid examples of how visual goals and statements of intention can help you accomplish any goal, watch for his new book, Invent Your Future, coming out in spring 2012. Follow Paul David Walker on Twitter and Facebook to watch for publishing updates.

About Paul David Walker: Paul David Walker was part of the first leadership firm designed to align strategy, structure and culture to fortify some of the largest companies in the United States including Star-Kist Foods, Conexant Systems and New York Life. His own genius lies in integrating business strategy and philosophical insights, guiding the leadership of major companies with a holistic approach that allows them to grow grounded, stable and balanced -- and ultimately, become much more successful leaders. While many in his position come into companies with a theory and models, Walker's approach is an applied science gleaned from first-hand experience. Some of the most influential leaders in American business have relied on him for expert guidance since 1984. (www.geniusstone.com)