Here we are at the end of February – how are those New Years Resolutions going? 😁
There is so much hype built into our society around resolutions. We often associate them with huge goals, and things we want to accomplish, rather than behaviors we want to embody. If 64% of all people fail their resolution within one month of starting, what is the common factor that makes them so hard to stick to?
What you do on a day to day basis is what matters. It’s perfectly fine to have goals, but to achieve a goal there’s a process we have to go through. As James Clear described during his appearance on the show; we have to become the type of person that can accomplish those goals. We do that with our day to day behaviors and habits that push us either further from or closer to those goals.
The More / Less List
Instead of making a huge resolution for yourself, try making a “more and less” list. Create a table with two columns. One side is more, the other is less.
Start with more.
Ask yourself:
- What do you want to call into your life this upcoming year?
- What type of actions and behaviors coincide with those things?
- What is something you want professionally? Physically? Socially? Financially?
Put them on the list. My examples include more writing, more awareness of my posture, more hosting friends, and more proactivity around personal finances. Once you identify the things that you want, you can work backwards and think about the actions (habits) that will get you there.
Now tackle the less side.
Ask yourself:
- What are you doing too much of?
- Are you getting in your own way?
- What are some of the things you’d like to spend less time or energy on?
The number one habit I’d like to change in the upcoming year (that we can probably all relate to): ‘less scrolling without intention.’ How much time are you spending on your phone mindlessly scrolling social media? Would anything be gained by repurposing that time for something on your “more” list?
Also on the list are ‘less hurrying,’ and ‘less attachment to the outcome.’ Our minds are constantly trying to pull us out of the present moment. The brain thinks about the next thing we have to do as we’re doing the current thing. Sometimes when we take a second to just breathe, we realize how silly all this rushing around really is, and start to be present, and enjoy ourselves.
The brain also wants to anticipate the outcome of every possible future event. We play out scenarios in our head endlessly and develop expectations for how things will be. But the truth is, the beauty is in the journey. Learn to love the process, focus on the things within your control, and let the outcomes naturally unfold.
We are what we repeatedly do, therefore excellence is not an act but a habit. – Aristotle
Aristotle once said, “we are what we repeatedly do, therefore excellence is not an act but a habit.” We can create the life we want by changing our habits. Words are empty without follow up action. Nothing changes if nothing changes. Use this “more and less” list as a way to hold yourself accountable.
You want to know how I track my habits, check out this post here.
Enjoy!
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