A New Year has started.
This is the time when everyone starts their annual ritual of making New Year's resolutions, because why not add a little more pressure to the start of the year?
I don't make New Year’s Resolutions. Oh, the horror! Wait, I do make resolutions, and if one just so happens to start on January 1st, well, that's just dandy. Don't get me wrong, I get all giddy about the new year and its potential for chaos and adventures. I do celebrate a fresh 365 days to either conquer or completely ignore. But I don't need a new year to decide to change something. I ponder, I reminisce about the past year and sometimes years, and occasionally, I get a lightbulb moment about changes I need to make. Other times, I just shrug and move on.
“The new year brings a day, to tune the rhythm called SOUL, with the best chords called EXPERIENCES and play the instrument called LIFE.”
If something aligns with my grand master plan, I plot the best way to sneak it into my life, then I dive in. (After some deep thinking, I realized I usually do this during the summer, when the sun melts my brain just enough to be creative.) I ensure it's going to stick by making tiny tweaks and swapping old habits for shiny new ones. This doesn't mean I'm a resolution superhero—I’m only human, and sometimes those pesky old habits stage a comeback. But I’m not waiting until January 1st to try again.
I've discovered that New Year's Resolutions come with a truckload of pressure, like "I announced my resolution to the world, so I better nail it, or I'll never live it down." Sure, those reasons might kickstart you, but if that's all you've got, you're not going to make it. I've learned that people tend to dive headfirst into their resolutions, only to crash and burn quickly. Their resolutions are often the size of Mount Everest; if they're too big and not well thought out, they become overwhelming and downright impossible.
People wake up on January 1st and declare, "This is the first day of the rest of my new life!" (Actually, for some, it might be January 2nd, after recovering from the festivities.) Guess what? That day is every day. How cool is that?! Every day can be a January 1st! 365 chances to tackle your resolutions.
Now doesn't that just relieve so much pressure? it's possible for you to wake up tomorrow with the same enthusiasm you had on Jan 1st. I highly recommend it.
Now that you're back in action, here are some tips for starting resolutions any day of the year!
Start small: Life is a series of tiny habits. Begin by swapping one little habit for another. If you're diving into new exercises, don't go full Beethoven on the Czerny School of Velocity book. Pick at least 2 exercises to conquer in the next 2 months. Baby steps, not Beethoven symphonies!
Let it go: Trying again? Awesome! Don't smack yourself with guilt for giving it another shot. Learn from the past, plan for the future, and skip the self-pity party. So, you didn't stick to your practice plan last week? Figure out why, and try again—no need for a pity parade!
Be honest: Do you really want to make this resolution, or is someone twisting your arm? Your resolution might be a fantastic idea that you know you need. But if your heart's not in it, or you really don't want to change, your chances of success are about as high as a cat's chance of taking a bath willingly.
Get help: Sometimes we need a little help from our friends. Or maybe just someone to keep us accountable. Even the most successful folks have coaches and accountability buddies. No one is an island, so recruit someone to join your resolution squad and keep you on track!
So use these tips and get started today, tomorrow, or any day with your resolutions.
Happy New Year!
Quick question: Do you have any tips or tricks to make your resolutions permanent?
Candace
A magical mix of life and career coaching, personal development, and music industry mentoring.
Comments