Every year, a healthy percentage of Americans make promises to themselves about the upcoming year – New Year’s resolutions. But, how many times have you actually followed them?
The unfortunate truth is that for most of us, the new year simply means a fresh start on old habits. Even if we make our resolutions with every intention to stick to them – and even work hard in the beginning – eventually our ingrained patterns resurface, and we’re back to where we started. Only now, add in guilt and frustration about our inability to change and stick to our resolutions.
This year, may we suggest a new approach? Abandon the concept of New Year’s resolutions. Move away from the standard practice of setting goals for behavior or performance and failing to meet them. Let go of focusing on the “finish line” where you hope that those resolutions will help you succeed.
Instead, develop an appreciation for the “journey” through the next year. Shift your focus to daily practices that empower you in small steps. And put them into action right now.
This doesn’t mean “re-wording” your resolutions. It’s much deeper than that. It’s about learning to develop new behavior – like going to the gym or chewing gum instead of lighting a cigarette – by starting with a shift in your perspective. Instead of focusing on those ten pounds you would like to lose, shift to implementing a healthier lifestyle (and that extra weight will come off as a result!).
Small changes in perspective will lead to new behavior, and, over time, will result in powerful transformation.
As Tony Robbins says, all the specific desires you may package in a “resolution”, in the simplest terms, reflect a singular goal: you are after an extraordinary life. So this year, stop focusing on the outcome and start focusing on setting ourselves up to achieve that extraordinary life. That means starting with the fundamentals and changing the way we approach the subtle aspects of our everyday lives.
We talk about motivation and a balanced life in our All-Star Dental MBA. Learn more about the program at an online training event. Click here to register.
