3. 缺乏耐心

    英国一项调查显示，高达88%的个人新年目标都归于失败，而缺乏耐心的倾向正是主要原因。“就算是积极的变化，在开始的那段时间也会带来不适，”康奈兰指出。“可是每次换种方式做某事，大脑就会努力建立新的联系，形成新的习惯——最终会像它所取代的旧习惯一样，成为自然而然的事。”

    这里的重点词是“最终”。“有意努力的情形下，仍然需要最少21天才能形成一种新的习惯，可按照30天的周期来看或许更合适，因为它更符合人们的日程，”康奈兰说。“变革肯定会带来一些不适，但在30天的期限内专注于具体的阶段性目标正是解决之道。”

    日积月累，此种逐渐、稳步前进的方式能带来可观的进展。康奈兰的一位经纪公司客户正是这么做的，该公司要求其金融顾问“稍微调整一下行为方式”，包括提高向客户发送邮件的频率，提供可能使后者更感兴趣的信息，以及安排比以前略多一些的面对面会见。结果，六个月后，这家公司的营收增长了4%.

    “‘眼光长远’当然没问题，”康奈兰表示。“可想要实现巨大成就，必须从小做起。”无论是个人还是公司，这个建议似乎都很值得听取。

    译者：小宇

3. Being impatient

    This tendency is a major reason why, one British study showed, a whopping 88% of individuals' New Year's resolutions fail. "Even positive change feels uncomfortable for a while in the beginning," Connellan notes. "But each time you do something differently, the brain goes to work making new connections and setting up a new habit, which will eventually feel as natural as the old one it's replacing."

    The important word here is "eventually." "It takes at least 21 days of conscious effort to form a new habit, but 30 days is probably a better way to look at it, because it fits more easily into your calendar," Connellan says. "So expect there will be some discomfort with change, but commit to specific milestones for each 30-day period."

    This slow-and-steady approach can add up to measurable progress, as it did for a brokerage-firm client of Connellan's that coached financial advisors to make "very small changes in behavior," including emailing clients more often with information that might interest them and scheduling a few more face-to-face meetings than before. The result: sales were up 4% after six months.

    "It's fine to 'think big', of course," notes Connellan. "But if you want to see huge results, start small." That sounds like a resolution anyone, or any company, has a shot at keeping.