We resolve. We forget. We resolve. We forget.
For as long as people have been celebrating new years, they have been following this same pattern. They make large goals for the year ahead, and then as the exhaustion and hangover dissipate on the morning of January 2nd, the frenetic pace of life returns and, the resolutions of the week before are long forgotten.
If your journey is to the east and you travel south, you will never arrive at your destination.
We talk about goals of eating better, exercise, deep relationships, and overall discipline, and then we start are year with excessive eating and inebriation, meaningless kisses, and excessive sleeping and time wasting. Then as a result of our less than stellar choices, we reinforce the negative and make the possibility of achieving our goals all the more challenging.
As you live your moments, so you live your days, week, months, years and LIFE.
Making massive changes in you year and life can be overwhelming, intimidating and debilitating. To change a moment is manageable almost easy. Taking control of those moments will lead to massive life change.
Setting the stage for tomorrows performance.
You have some goals for this year. What is the goal that you want to work on? What is the process, the steps involved to reach that goal. When the stage crew sets the stage for a performance they put one piece, work on one detail at a time. Each piece/detail is not the set, the set is a result and combination of all the pieces.
A goal is not some thing we do, it is something we achieve, and we achieve it through taking the proper steps (one at a time) and the combination of those steps will result in the achievement of your goals.
A different party.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not suggesting the end of new years parties, the end of fun, I am just suggesting a different approach.
Begin here:
Pick a goal for this year, and be clear about it. Define the steps needed to acheive your goal, make sure they are manageable. The more steps the better, it is hard to balance when your stride is to long. Work towards your goal step by step. Celebrate achievement every step of the way.
For example. Let’s pick the popular goal of weight loss (why is it always weight loss?). A goal of loosing weight or eating less is too vague, and vague = never take action. Be clear, loose 10 lbs in the next six months, or drop one pant size in 3 months. Next is the process, what are the steps involved. The more steps there are the better. How about, 10 min of stretching in the morning/evening, one half less teaspoon of sugar in your coffee(that alone can cut out upwards of 15lbs a year) per month until you are down to one half to one teaspoon of sugar per cup, walk during lunch, don’t take seconds for at least 10 min after you finish the first plate, etc. After you have made your list of steps pick the first thing to work on. Let’s go with the sugar cut back.
Next, when do we start (ie. take action)? NOW. Not the day after new year, not tomorrow, but now.
I know you are thinking, Rob where is the party and fun.
When you are at the party already start working on your goals. If it’s weight loss, eat one thing less, if its more meaningful relationships stay away from meaningless kisses, if its more exercise dance a little more. And when you accomplish the action. Celebrate, whether it is singing “I’m to sexy”, buying yourself a drink, or dancing and yelling out loud (you can get away with this, at a party).
Sun Set. Sun Rise
A year will end and a new year will arrive, you have no controll over this. How you step into the year is in the sphere of your control.
Step forward, step with purpose, step with strength. Be Great.
Happy New Year
Rob