It's coming--or it's here: the time to make New Years Resolutions. Will you make them and break them, or crumble under the pressure and not make any at all? Generally, people take either one of those two paths--but there is a third: Muster up some courage, and make them, and vow that you'd rather die a painful death than break one of them. Seem extreme? Well, making changes to your life often is.
What kinds of things should you resolve to do? Well, the answer to that is pretty simple: things that will in some way improve your life. Changes in your life that will help you, say, accomplish goals. Don't we all have goals--dreams perhaps--that we'd like to attain, but often don't feel we can? This is the focus I am taking in this article: Resolutions that will help you attain your goals.
How do you do that? Well, that's pretty simple too: take on the habits of those who have attained goals at the highest level.
So a resolution is like a habit? Yes.
But what's a habit? Well, a habit, if I were to take the time to give you a detailed etymology of the word, works out to something that you dwell in--a kind of dwelling place (like 'habitat' and 'habituate'). So, for instance, if you have a habit of smoking or drinking too much, that will define your way of living, your way of being.
So what you want to do is put on good habits and take off bad ones--and that's where the really hard work comes in. You are literally striving to live a completely different way, which will require time and patience.
So are you saying, then, that resolutions are like habits, and thus require time and effort to change them? Yes, that's what I'm saying; additionally, I'm taking some of the heat off the resolution, and extending it over a period of time--say several years. Changing your way of living will take some time.
So what are some resolutions...er...habits, that will help me achieve my goals? Well, there are many, but let's look at about 10 of them.
1. Wake up early: Yes, there are many cases of successful people who sleep late; but if you have children who chew up all your time in a given day, you need to work while they're sleeping. The end of the day is often too late. Getting up an hour or more early in the morning and getting to work at something you want to accomplish is a great way to be successful--even if that time is simply for yourself to visualize your day, engage in spiritual practice, or just have a good quiet cup of coffee.
2. Don't check email first thing in the morning: I know you're itching to check your email; and maybe you have a boss who likes to send 2am emails to stay on top of his or her staff; but it's amazing how quickly checking email can sap your energy and drive. Taking control of your email is one of the biggest challenges you'll face to achieving your goals. The best way to spend your morning is more reflectively: what do you want/need to accomplish that day that will get you closer to your goals?
3. Make lists: I knew a guy who was a best-selling author--his books sold millions of copies. He had a tremendous amount of personal drive. One of the things he did consistently was make lists of things he needed to accomplish, from finishing off a manuscript, to researching the next one, to attending conferences and courses. Making a list is key to staying focused on what you need to get done, and will help you get closer to your goals.
4. Journal: If you don't write down your goals, you'll find it hard to focus on them. Have you heard of the guy who wrote down $1 million on a slip of paper, along with the future date on which he'll have earned it? There's power in writing down our goals. Many people use thick black notebooks in which they write down their thoughts, reflect on victories and set backs, etc. It doesn't have to be a leather-bound legal-sized paper journal handmade in Venice--it can simply be a wire-bound notebook from Staples. The important thing is you write in it.
5. Read: "Leaders are readers." Have you heard that line? It's true. But I'm not talking about the latest from Stephen King, but rather books that will help you gain better perspective or teach you new things. One of the most incredible and life changing books to read are biographies, especially in your areas of interest. How did Benjamin Franklin work? How did Frank Lloyd Wright design buildings? How did Picasso paint? How did Lee Iacocca lead? Want to read something about achieving goals? Look no further than Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self-Reliance."
6. Eat healthy: It's hard to achieve your goals when you're living on junk food, smokes, and alcohol. And you don't need to be wealthy to eat well. The simple thing about eating is eat small portions of proteins, smaller portions of carbohydrates, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. And if you take in less calories than you burn off, you'll stay trim and full of energy.
7. Exercise: No, this isn't tough either--just walk around the block a few times a day, or get your body moving around. If you're at the office a lot, consider a stand-up desk. The basic thing is you need to keep your body moving around--a sedentary life is a short-lived life.
8. Avoid TV: You won't have time to read that new biography of Elon Musk when you're languishing in front of Property Brothers for six hours a night will you? Or that hockey game that only leaves you biting your nails and drinking those extra beers to get you through the stress of your team losing another one. Best to turn it off, and pick up a good book. Your life is made up of individual moments, and it's how you spend each moment that makes up the whole of your future. You can burn up a lot of life watching other people's accomplished goals, and passing up on yours.
9. Do--don't feel: Waiting for the inspiration to come before you start out on that goal? Too late. Those who accomplish goals simply work--even when they don't feel like it. What ever it is, you're going to have to work at it regardless of how you feel. In fact, you're going to have to battle back negative talk all the time--those voices in your head that tell you you're crazy.
10. Mindset: Carol Dweck, well-known Stanford psychologist, divides people into two camps: those who have a growth mindset and those who have a fixed mindset. Those who grow take on challenges, see the glass half full, and see failure as a learning experience to get better. Those with a fixed mindset sabotage their growth by shying from challenge, complaining about the glass being empty, and get depressed when they fail. What mindset do you have? If you have a fixed mindset, you can change it. By working toward your goal and following these simple tips, you're already on your way to a growth mindset. And did you know that when you change your thinking, take on hard challenges, and pursue your goals, you're actually growing your brain? Yup--just ask Carol Dweck:
Carol Dweck on Mindset--at Google, of course.
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