It feels like every few years, I can’t help but write about my strong dislike for New Year’s resolutions… ok if I’m honest with you and myself, I hate them!
In the world of inside sales: focus, consistency, and adaptability are everything – it’s time to talk about this again.
Back in 2008, I said: “Well, here we are again—the time of year when everyone sets New Year’s resolutions. Even the U.S. government has a list of the most popular ones!”
Here’s the kicker: statistics in the U.S. suggest that only a tiny percentage—somewhere between 3% and 15%—actually stick to their resolutions. The rest? They fall off the wagon, often by mid-January.
let’s ditch resolutions
Instead of chasing short-lived promises, what if we focused on daily resolve?
For inside sales pros, that might look like reaching out to one more prospect, perfecting one piece of messaging, or taking five minutes to reflect on what worked and what didn’t during the day.
The idea isn’t new. As Edmund Burke once said, “Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.”
Imagine the progress we’d see in sales—heck, in life—if we made 365 tiny, purposeful steps forward this year.
Then in 2011, I added:
I’ve come to see New Year’s resolutions as more than ineffective — they’re a license to fail. When we hear that 75% of resolutions are abandoned or that a third don’t even make it a week, it’s easy to let ourselves off the hook.
Instead, I challenge you to think differently. Resolutions aren’t the problem.
It’s the lack of a plan. In sales, we wouldn’t walk into a new quarter without a strategy, so why approach life or career growth any differently?
Swap out vague resolutions for well-thought-out, actionable goals. Goals so clear you can map them, measure them, and adjust course if needed.
For inside sales, that could mean setting a stretch target for meaningful conversations per day, experimenting with new tools to boost efficiency, or investing time in skill-building. Make it real, make it measurable, and commit to steady progress.
So, this year, skip the resolutions and embrace resolve. Be the rep who outpaces the metrics, the manager who models consistency, or the teammate who inspires others to show up daily.
Here’s to a year of intentional growth and profitable outcomes!
You’ve got this,
Lynn