Resolutions Fail? Try the 6-Step MATRIX for Real Change
While many people try to use the beginning of the year as a springboard for change, resolutions often fail when people attempt them without first evaluating their performance from the previous year with questions such as:
- What went well and how can I optimize it?
- Where do I need to improve?
- How can I position myself in the first quarter fulfill the marks I want to hit in 2021?
“Look at the first quarter in a highly focused way and put your strategy, your implementation and your focus there and not so much on the whole year,” Joey says. “If you want to set some high level year-long benchmarks for what you’d like to accomplish, that’s great. But the majority of your focus should be on how to position yourself for the first quarter so that you hit the ground running and build momentum towards that larger outcome.”
Founder and CEO of Inner Matrix Systems, Joey shares five steps from the Inner Matrix Method, a powerful synthesis of the art of mindfulness and the science of neurobiology that high achievers use to reach higher levels of performance:
Map: Name where you are now, where you want to go, and key benchmarks along the way.
Align: Align mentally, emotionally, and physically with what you will create in 2021.
Train: Engage in a consistent practice to train your mind, emotions, and actions to support your vision.
Reinforce: Reinforce what’s going well. Name what can be optimized, and recalibrate as needed.
Integrate: Integrate what you learn through measuring and recalibrating to stay agile.
X marks the spot: Focus on your Q1 strategy — the benchmarks will you hit and what daily actions will get you there.
Although it is important to evaluate your past-year performance as you set Q1 benchmarks, it’s also essential to “let go of the past so that you’re not bringing the baggage of the past into the future,” Joey says.
“There is a degree of realigning your Inner Matrix that needs to occur if you are going to succeed,” Joey says. “If you take feelings such as overwhelm or failure forward with you, your intention and benchmarks are not going to happen.”
The MATRIX steps outlined above are designed to help you “re-inspire, get back in touch with your why, and get excited again,” Joey says.
Joey Klein is the founder and CEO of Inner Matrix Systems, a personal mastery training system for high achievers. He is the author of The Inner Matrix: Leveraging the Art & Science of Personal Mastery to Create Real Life Results. He has been interviewed by Self Magazine, INC.com, Yahoo Finance and NBC. Klein has coached leaders from some of the world’s top companies, including IBM, Coca Cola and the World Health Organization.
