It’s not too late to plan to achieve more in 2025 than you ever have before on your dairy.

Cooley walt polo
Editor and Podcast Host / Progressive Dairy

Let me be clear. The time for resolutions has passed. A resolution is just a desire to change. While that’s the first step, it’s not enough. You need three things for real change. You need a written objective, a deadline to achieve it and scheduled time to work on it.

You must have all three. Without them, you will fail – for certain. Here are the pitfalls to avoid.

First, write it down. Dr. Gail Matthews, a psychology professor, showed in her research that individuals who wrote down their goals achieved them 42% more than those who didn’t. Write down what you want to achieve. Write it somewhere you will see it every day – a calendar in your office, a notepad you carry with you, an index card in the cupholder of your truck.

Second, define the desired change type. Can you directly influence it? If yes, you have an achievement goal. Example: Flip through each issue of Progressive Dairy within a week of receiving it and mine it for ideas for your dairy.

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That’s completely in your control. Notice how this achievement goal is time-bound. If you just said you wanted to flip through the magazine when you can, I bet you’ll have a stack of magazines on your desk by March still waiting for you. A time-bound deadline increases the likelihood you’ll follow through.

Note: If the change you seek is multifactorial, identify a habit to change to influence the outcome. Example: Increase preg rate by 2%. Most likely, that’s not something you alone will change on your dairy. Setting deadlines for habit goals are more difficult. They require you and others to change. Be specific in identifying what needs to change, but also realistic about how long it may take for many people to change. Habit change is harder but usually more impactful, so don’t be discouraged.

Finally, to change your dairy, you’ve got to make time. Otherwise, change won’t happen.

This year I’m using an annual calendar to plan what projects I will work on each week of the year. Honestly, I expect the plan will have to change. Unexpected things happen. For example, last year I planned to build a new pasture fence in April, but I had a significant hand injury that required two months to heal. I missed the window to get that done. I’m resolved to try again this year.

Unexpected things happen. Yes, stuff breaks down. Yes, employees quit and re-hires need trained. Yes, the daily grind can be exhausting. The change you seek doesn’t care. It’s brutally selfish. It wants attention. Give it attention. Find time each week or bits of time each day to work on your goal.

Feed the change beast. Achieve your dreams.