From Resolutions to Results

Kevin Davis
1d
5 min read

Building the Support Systems For Your Intentions

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness” ~ Goethe

What You'll Learn

Why 92% of New Year's resolutions fail by February
The critical difference between motivation and commitment
How arbitrary rules turn intentions into engraved habits
Why asking for support is leadership strength, not weakness
A practical framework for commitments that stick

January 1st arrives with its familiar promise: This year will be different.

You'll exercise consistently. Lead more strategically. Be more present with family. Finally develop that leadership pipeline.

The intention is genuine. The motivation is real. And by February, 92% of these resolutions will have quietly dissolved.

This isn't a failure of willpower. It's a failure of architecture.

Motivation vs. Commitment

Motivation is an emotional impulse—it comes and goes like weather. You feel inspired after a conference or wake-up call. The feeling is real, but temporary.

Commitment is a decision that creates structure. It's black and white, not fuzzy and gray.

Think about marriage. The romantic feeling ebbs and flows. Some days you're deeply in love; other days you're just deeply tired. But the commitment stands. You made a decision once, in front of witnesses, with explicit promises. You don't re-decide every morning—the decision has already been made.

That's the power of commitment: You make the decision once, and structure carries you through the days when motivation fails.

Resolutions fail because they're built on motivation alone:

"I'm going to work out more"
"I'll be a better leader"
"I'm going to build my team"

Notice what's missing: Specific commitments. Timeframes. Accountability structures. Measurement.

Without these elements, you're not making a commitment—you're expressing a wish.

The Architecture of Commitment

Here's how to build commitments that actually stick:

Step 1: Connect to Purpose

Why does this commitment matter? Not what you "should" do—what genuinely stirs your heart?

Your commitment must serve a higher purpose. Without that connection, your Critic will talk you out of it the moment it gets uncomfortable. Notice your emotional attitude as you consider your commitments. If they feel like obligations or "shoulds," they won't survive February. But if they connect to genuine purpose, they'll pull you forward.

Vague: "I'll develop my team"

Purpose-Connected: "I commit to building a coaching culture because I'm done watching talented people plateau. I believe in their capability, and I want to create conditions where they thrive."

That's purpose. It has pull.

Step 2: Make It Specific with Arbitrary Rules

Transform vague intention into explicit commitment by following arbitrary rules—specific actions triggered by specific events or times.

As psychologist William James wrote in 1877:

"When you set out to engrave a habit, you want to launch yourself with as strong and decided an initiative as possible. Then, never suffer an exception until the habit is firmly rooted. Take advantage of every occasion to practice your habit. Follow arbitrary rules."

Examples:

Habit: "I want to be more strategic"

Arbitrary Rule: "Every Friday morning from 8-10am (on my calendar), I'll do strategic thinking with no meetings or email."

Habit: "I want to build coaching relationships"

Arbitrary Rule: "At every one-on-one meeting, I will ask at least 5 open-ended questions before offering solutions."

Habit: "I want to be more present at home"

Arbitrary Rule: "Every evening when I walk through the door, I will put my phone in the kitchen drawer until after dinner."

The arbitrariness—especially rules you can put on your calendar—causes you to remember to engage in the new habit and therefore engrave it in your memory. There isn't a "right" number or frequency, just that you said you'll do it.

We suggest committing to a finite timeframe you're willing to practice each habit: 30 days, 90 days, 1 year—whatever you're genuinely willing to commit to.

Step 3: Build Your Support System

Here's where most leaders fail: They try to transform alone.

Every transformational leader needs these support systems:

Coaching Relationships

Every transformational leader needs coaching. Not because you're broken, but because your Critic operates unconsciously, sabotaging your growth in ways you can't see. Professional athletes—the best in the world—have multiple coaches. Not because they're weak, but because they're serious about performance.

Peer Accountability

Your peers understand the unique pressures of leadership. When you make commitments in front of peers who will ask about them later, those commitments become real. This is why CEO forums and peer groups work.

Explicit Agreements

"I commit to conducting quarterly development conversations with each direct report, using the coaching framework from our leadership retreat, with the first round completed by March 31st. Tom will check in with me bi-weekly."

That's an explicit agreement. It creates accountability and removes wiggle room.

Regular Check-ins

Commitments without follow-up are suggestions. Monthly coaching calls. Bi-weekly peer check-ins. What gets asked about gets prioritized.

Permission to Struggle

Supportive accountability asks: "You committed to X. What happened? What got in the way? What support do you need?" That's partnership, not punishment.

Step 4: Create the Measurement

How will you know you're making progress?

"I'll know I'm building a coaching culture when my direct reports start asking for coaching conversations instead of waiting for me to initiate them, and when they're having coaching conversations with their own teams."

That's measurable. You can observe it.

Step 5: Schedule the Checkpoints

When will you evaluate progress? Put these in your calendar now:

Weekly review of daily habits?
Monthly check-in with coach or peers?
Quarterly assessment of major commitments?

Don't wait for February. Schedule them before the year begins.

The Courage to Ask for Support

Your Critic will tell you that asking for support is weakness. That real leaders figure it out alone.

That's fear talking. And it's a lie that keeps leaders stuck.

The most transformational leaders aren't the ones who need the least support—they're the ones who have the courage to ask for it. They join CEO forums. They hire coaches. They create peer accountability.

Asking for support isn't admitting inadequacy. It's demonstrating wisdom and is a sign of your commitment to being more effective.

Your 2026 Commitment Framework

Before January ends, complete this framework:

My Primary Commitment for 2026: [One major commitment—not ten, ONE]

Why This Matters (Purpose Connection): [How does this serve your higher purpose? What becomes possible?]

My Arbitrary Rules (Specific Actions & Triggers): [Example: "In every team meeting, I will..." or "Every Monday at 9am, I will..."]

My Support System:

Who will coach me?

Who are my peer accountability partners?

What structure creates regular check-ins?

How I'll Measure Progress: [What will you observe? What will change?]

My Check-in Schedule: [When's your first formal review? Put it in your calendar now]

Then share it. With your coach. With your peers. With your team. Make it real by making it public.

Try This Week

Right now, identify your one primary commitment for 2026. Not your entire transformation plan—just the one commitment that matters most.

Then ask yourself:

What arbitrary rule will help me engrave this habit?
Who will support me in keeping it?
Am I willing to ask for that support?

Goethe was right: Until you're committed, there's hesitancy. But the moment you commit—truly commit, with structure and support—everything shifts.

Make 2026 the year you stop resolving and start committing. Stop trying to transform alone and start building the support systems that make transformation possible.

Your leadership depends on it.

Invitation For 2026

You don't need more leadership advice. You need people who will ask "How's it going with that commitment?" and mean it.

The Interchange CEO Forum gathers CEOs, school Superintendents and non-profit Executive Directors monthly for confidential peer learning that creates accountability without judgment.

Learn More

The Exchange brings executive leaders together to build transformational skills in a circle of committed peers.