New Year + New Goal = New You?
By Jeff Pickles, CLAC Training Instructor
The new year is fast approaching. It’s a time of celebration, family, and reflection on your life, your achievements, who you are, and where you want to be.
How many goals or New Year’s resolutions have you set and achieved?
James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, believes that we should not be committing to goals, but instead to the process of becoming the person that you want to be.
Instead of simply stating “I want x” or “I wish I had more y,” think of the people who have or achieve those things. More importantly, think about what they do that allows for that. What systems or processes do they have in place? What habits do they have that result in having the things you wish or desire to have?
If you don’t change something about your current situation, you may never reach that goal.
Consider your environment. What does the current design and layout invite you to do? If all your furniture faces a TV screen, then you are far more likely to pick up the remote and turn on the TV when you sit down than you are to pick up a book, research something new, or just talk to others in the room.
What are the seemingly small and insignificant adjustments you could make today to reach your goals? Think low investment but high impact—focus on the things you can control. Is it time management? Do you need to ask for help? Are there any barriers to reaching your goal? Is it simply moving some furniture around?
For me, I wish I was walking my dog more often because I know it would benefit me (moving my body) and my dog (getting quality time together). I’ve identified that my current way of doing things—leaving the leash on the doorknob—is not working. I end up feeling guilty and frustrated because by the time I get to it or see it, I’m already in a rush to get out of the house and haven’t accomplished any new steps towards this goal.
What I need to do is ask myself “what isn’t working?” or “what’s in the way for me to accomplish this goal?” and “how can I change my perspective?”
If I’m being honest, I already know that I’m not setting myself up for success.
One way to help me reach my goal might be to get the walk in earlier in the day. Or I could place a travel mug beside my coffee maker so that I’m motivated to take it on the go while enjoying a walk with my dog before my day starts.
Another simple change could be asking for help or accountability from a friend or a significant other. This way, I can have an external prompt from someone who has been brought in on the process and we may even grow closer in accomplishing this together.
Start small. Things don’t need to change right away or all in one go.
As a society we use the new year to mark resolutions and goals that ultimately get pushed to the side once life starts getting busy again.
Subtle changes you make in your daily life are not the end goal. They may not even solve all of your problems, but they’re a step toward where you want to be. And those steps add up.
What are some seemingly small changes that you can make today that will impact your tomorrow?