I’m not a fan of New Year’s resolutions. Never have been – never will be. The reality is that very few people set attainable resolutions that they are able to maintain over an entire year. What happens? Life. Daily life provides the twists and turns that can make a day feel like a week or a lifetime feel like a brief moment. It’s meant to be that way. After all, if nothing ever happens…not much fun for Nemo (yes, I’m quoting Dory from Finding Nemo).
However when life happens, typically the first thing that gets chucked out the window are those nagging annual resolutions. Sure, you meant to get in shape, planned to be more understanding of others, or were going to save more “safety net” money in your account. But when life happens we revert back to the same thoughts and behaviors that we’re comfortable with – like that comfy old sweater you keep on your shelf despite the holes – and how it looks. Face it – we are truly creatures of habit.
A much more productive approach, however, is to wake up in the morning and focus on 3 truly achievable goals for the day. Three things that you know that no matter what happens you will find a way to complete. Some people like to write down their goals for the next day the night before. That’s fine. As long as your first act of a new day is to focus on your 3 achievable goals and visualize how you’re going to get them done. You may even want to close your eyes and do a little meditation on it. This should only take 5-10 minutes – and believe me – it will be the best spent 5-10 minutes of your day because it will set you up for being successful. Each time you do this – and follow through on your goals – you’ll be reinforcing new patterns in your life. Patterns that extend from your thoughts and behaviors through your emotions right down to your very physiological makeup.
Now, instead of worrying about what may happen throughout the week that may get in the way of your “resolutions,” you are focused on specific goals that you can begin to look back on – and take credit for. You are building confidence in your daily success and creating meaningful change in your life.
Give it a try, and let me know how it works for you!