I know, I know. New Year's resolutions are so last month. Every year we make a new list, power out of the gate like nobodies business. Then just as quickly we lose steam. By February, most of us have already suffered the usual fate – another swing, and a miss. Our intentions are good, but our resolve is weak. Let's face it, the act of resolving is exciting, but the reality of remaining resolved is tough. Most of us are just aren't good at the long game.

This year I decided to approach my resolutions a bit differently. There were a lot of things I wanted to tackle, too many things actually. And in aggregate they seemed big. Really big! Then it hit me, why not take my cue from the Aesop's fable of the tortoise and the hare. Most of us remember the moral of the story – slow and steady wins the race. Intuitively we understand this parable, yet we keep having to be reminded. This year instead of committing to big, unobtainable, less actionable goals, I'm going to try breaking those life-changers in small bite size chunks and bank on the power of slow & steady. If the idea plays true, small changes applied consistently over time should yield big wins.

The next question was how to make this micro-commitment model scalable. I needed to put some flesh around the idea. I needed to be able to repeat it across the various areas of my life. So, I decided to use the number three and the increment of 7 days as the constants in the equation. Here's the formula I settled on:
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Big goal divided by 3 small actions per/week multiplied over time equals success.
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One of my 2014 resolutions is to reduce the clutter in my home. Trust me this is no small task. I can really pack things away. In fact I think nowadays they refer to us nostalgic types as hoarders. So, harnessing the power of  slow and steady, I determined to lessen my possessions by 3 things per week. I could pass them along to friends or family, or just toss 'em out, but 3 things had to go. It's only been a few weeks but I can attest to the power of this small equation. It takes so little time to make these micro decisions and acting on them is easy too. Now, to see if I can stick with it.