“Carry on as before” – who gave ‘New Year Resolution’ a bad name?
More and more people I meet won’t bother with a resolution, because “it won’t last anyway” or “I gave up last year after failing, after the 1st month”. Well, it can last if one is committed enough to give some attention ahead of the new year. Starting like now.
The New Year is not 1st January but the whole of the year 2019, in this case. The resolution is not to be made just on 1st January but on all 365 days of the year. If you want to commit, grab writing material or a keyboard, keep reading and be true to yourself in answer to any questions. Or else, don’t bother reading further.
Some people plan, whilst some don’t believe they can plan, preferring to just start, and still succeed. Provided your commitment takes you through, then start cold and review.
Why would you want to give up something you enjoy or something you already tolerate anyway? Now, imagine what it would it feel and look like when you have succeeded with it. This can motivate you if it is desirable. What would you lose by stopping this, by the way? What is it worth to you? What if you didn’t give it up, then what? If you have decided that the sacrifice is worth making, consider this. Nature does not allow a vacuum, so if you want to remove something from your behaviour, choose something desirable to replace it with. Let’s say you want to stop reacting angrily to someone – what would you do when that someone says something that annoys you? Feel or see in your mind’s eye what it would be like, even practice it. What could get in the way of your intended action and what would you do about each obstacle?
If you wish to start doing something in 2019, what outcome do you desire from this? Imagine how it would make you feel when you have succeeded. Remind yourself why you want to take up this behaviour (physical or mental). What would happen if you didn’t start this? What sacrifice would be involved with doing this? What could get in your way and how would you respond to each one?
It is important to prepare the ground you wish to walk on. Relationships are important to most people, so remember to have any conversations needed to enlist support or send an alert – some may attempt sabotage. There are a number of great Apps which are helpful for forming habits – Strides for iPhone, HabitBull for Android are worthy of mention – so embrace Technology to smooth your path and challenge yourself by tracking your daily success %.
So if you fall off, you have all year to make it work, therefore pick yourself up and choose to go again. Remember that like a baby who wants to walk and won’t stay down, commitment will get you through. Send me a message, if you want my support with this. Have a great year, whatever you choose.
The Who Are You Podcast #17 – Happiness
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“A smile is happiness you’ll find right under your nose” – Tom Wilson.
“Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present” – Jim Rohn.
“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” – Albert Schweitzer
Happiness had always appeared relegated to home and leisure. As Well-being has become mainstream, it now seems more acceptable to discuss people being happy in work and business. Do we all believe we can be happy and do we mean the same feeling when we talk of happiness. What is happiness for you and do you know how to find and nurture it? Could you recognise what makes you happy without first knowing who you are?
Listen for some thoughts that may confirm or challenge your views. Something here might also prompt you into action to be happy.
The Who Are You Podcast #13 – Get what you want
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Getting the success you want, is often considered to be a result of pure effort, luck, providence, intelligence, relationships or a combination of these factors. The quote by film producer, Samuel Goldwyn “the harder I work, the luckier I get”, suggests a confluence of factors. Some of these are outside an individual’s control, are they not? So where does one start?
“Not getting what you want is often wanting what you get” – Anonymous.
My view is that the starting point for getting what you want is knowing what you want and what makes it important to you. These provide the energy required for success and the language to share them with others. Knowing what you want also enables you to create a strategy to get it, starting from assessing your current position in relation to the future end-state. A strategy, not a plan. Used by successful organisations, it also works for individuals.
So, you may already be successful, in the way you describe success. On the other hand, you may not feel so successful. What else do still you want now and in the future? Listen for a few tips to add to your tool-kit, then share your own success tools and any other comments. Then take action.