New Year's Resolutions

This is the first of a series of posts about New Year's resolutions and how to make them meaningful and successful.

This time of year we start wracking our minds to think of the perfect New Year's resolution. About two months from now, most of us will be smacking ourselves in the forehead because we have utterly failed in our endeavor to lose 10 lbs, go to the gym more often, meditate more, drink less, or whatever expectation we have set for ourselves. How about this year we do something different?

One of the biggest reasons that we fail at our New Years resolutions is because our goals aren't realistic. We want to do way too much in way too little time (we will talk more about this in future posts). Another reason is because the resolution(s) really don't have anything to do with our True Self and so we set ourselves up for failure by setting expectations for ourselves that are really just to please others. We are much more likely to succeed if we stop and take time to reflect on who we really are, who we want to be, and what we need to do to get there.

Many years ago I printed out a post from a Japanese blog written by Miki Watanabe, the founder of a number of Izakaya restaurant chains and senior living facilities in Japan. In the post, he had a formula that was incredibly simple, but very powerful. It translates as this: Who I want to be - Who I am now = the work I need to do. Another way of reading it is Where I want to be - Where I am now = what I still need to do. This is a very "oh duh" sort of concept, but we rarely take the time to consider it.

So, in order to use this formula, we need to know where we are now. This takes time to pause, meditate, reflect on who our True Self is (more to come on this later). Then, it is necessary to ask ourselves where we are in relation to our True Self. What are the gaps? Where do I want to go, but where have I gotten stuck along the way? If you need help in seeing the path or can see it, but can't seem to get unstuck somewhere along the way, perhaps consider hiring a life/leadership coach to help you along.

One assessment that I have found helpful is Michael Hyatt's Lifescore Assessment. This will help you to be able to see where you are now in relation to what you want to look like. Take these first steps early in the resolution-setting game and set yourself up for success!

Whether you need a shepherd or a sherpa along the way, I'm here to help if you need it.