I absolutely love the start of the new year. The feeling of a fresh start on a year where anything can happen, and you can make changes to the things from the past year that maybe you didn't like. If you're on social media December-January you are sure to be overwhelmed by loads of optimism for the new year, but also skepticism. People making fun of others wanting to make positive changes saying they are doomed to fail. Luckily, in the past year I have started following a few different people who inspire me and they have a refreshing and helpful view on how to make positive changes in the new year.
Alex Hormozi (entrepreneur) posted on Instagram saying "False: New Year, New You. True: New Actions, New You" which I have personally found to be true this past year. I started 2022 with the one resolution to do the bare minimum on the workout program I was doing. In the year prior I would get overwhelmed with the thought of how long a workout might take me, or I wasn't feeling it that day, etc. and it would cause me to skip days completely. I chose to commit to the action of doing the bare minimum, and I would consider that a success even if I didn't do the full workout. At the end of the year I had been much more successful than in years prior, because I chose to find an ACTION to commit to. Remember, we don't change overnight Dec. 31-Jan.1.
Karin Nordin (a behavior change expert) talks about strategies to find success in New Year's resolutions. The first is to plan to fail...which sounds strange. The point is to shift your focus from "I can't fail the first week" to "I can improve my reaction to failure within the first week". This will help with sticking to your commitment later in the year when the motivation you feel at the start of the year fades and you need to get back on the horse. She also talks about how New Year's resolutions are about making change, and we naturally fear and resist change. These changes aren't easy, but are worth it! Finally, Karin encourages us to take notes (literally) on the little things that work. Don't say "Oh, I finally made a good choice" but get clear on HOW and WHY you made that choice.
James Clear (author of Atomic Habits) says you need to focus on what you want to BECOME, not what you want to achieve. Example: The goal is not to read a book (outcome based), the goal is to become a reader (identity based). This one stuck out to me and is an area I have chosen to focus on closely this year. Who is the dream version of me I want to become? What are the habits and practices that dream person exhibits? DO THOSE THINGS.
And lastly, a friendly reminder that a New Year's resolution without a plan is just a dream. A dream is nice, but it's not real. Focus on making the dream a reality.
Thanks for reading,
-Nate
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