We know from studies involving millions of people worldwide that most New Year resolutions are abandoned before the second Saturday of January. Despite the best of intentions, more than nine out of ten resolutions will never be achieved.
It is a similar story in healthcare. There is strong evidence in the international literature of substantial gaps in care quality, yet most CQI projects are never completed or achieve only modest improvements, while gains are seldom sustained.
There are many reasons for this – unrealistic expectations, inadequate preparation and resources, distractions and competing priorities for limited time – but the main culprit is arguably focusing on what we want, rather than why we want it.
The likelihood of successfully keeping resolutions and completing a CQI project can be significantly increased by adopting the same, deceptively-simple strategies:
- Be clear about the reasons and benefits of making the change
- Divide tasks into smaller, specific actions (micro-resolutions)
- Recruit friends and colleagues to help support the change
- Measure progress and celebrate victories
- Integrate changes within existing routines, contexts and processes
- Anticipate and accept setbacks, slip-ups and delays – then keep going
And finally, as the philanthropist and professional equestrian Georgina Bloomberg advised: ‘if you want to change something, change it today and don’t wait until the New Year.’
Best wishes for 2020!