New Year, New You?
This time of year we often hear from two opposing camps: those who love resolutions and those who hate them. I will not be taking either of these sides. Instead, I will be attempting to distill the reality that both sides adamantly believe they understand. Both sides claim to have the answer to self-improvement.
First off, I see the benefits of both beliefs. Resolutions can clearly be powerful instruments of change. Lives have been altered and improved by making firm resolutions (Big Hairy Audacious Goals as Jim Collins would put it).
On the other hand, goals can be detrimental to their own achievement. Some goals are so poorly defined or seemingly unattainable that they set up goal-setters for disappointment.
Despite there being much disagreement over the value of goals and new year's resolutions, I think that everyone can agree that self-improvement is hard. Character conversion is a difficult process.
In order to become the person you want to be, you must fight hard everyday. There are numerous ways to improve goal-setting, habit-formation, and productivity that can be found in a variety of podcasts and articles. However, nothing will eliminate the reality that it is hard to be the person you want to become.
Becoming the person you want to become necessitates rejecting the pieces of yourself that are currently lacking. If this sounds painful to you, you are not wrong. Breaking bad habits and building new ones is an uncomfortable process. It requires leaving the path you have grown accustomed to and fighting for a new you.
There is nothing special about the turn of the year. No flip of the calendar will turn you into the person you want to become. It does provide, however, a nice place to begin to change your life. If you want to be a new you in the new year, be intentional about it and fight for it.
I wish I had a fool-proof formula for self-improvement, but I do not. There seems to be a large degree of personalization required, which is perhaps why there is such bitter disagreement about the usefulness and place of resolutions. Nevertheless, I do have three concepts that are important to keep in mind when bettering yourself.
1. Habits are important.
To achieve any resolution or have success in self-improvement, you must develop meaningful habits. It is the breaking of bad habits and the forming of good ones that will have lasting impact on your life. Consider how you might be able to add one habit and lose one habit in the new year to become more like the person you wish to be.
2. Community is important.
Being around the type of people you wish to become accelerates the rate of your growth. No one likes being the odd person out. It can be painful, but is necessary to be in groups of people that exhibit the noble characteristics and habits that you lack. Just being around these people will motivate you to change. The inverse, of course, is also true. Being around people who possess the characteristics you wish to discard will make it difficult to improve. Instead of fighting only your own character and habits, you must fight an entire community.
3. A realistic timeline is important.
Countless times in my life I have set goals and desired immediate improvement. This is a natural desire but unrealistic. You will not change the nature of who you are in a month. It seems silly to even say this, but I think many of us act as if this were true. Changing who you are will take time. Do not get discouraged by slow progress. Be encouraged by your commitment to self-improvement. Consistent effort will drive incremental improvement. Over an entire year, it will be easy to look back and see the amazing results you have achieved if you stay true to the course. On that same note, do not fall into the temptation to set a regimen so difficult that you will be burned out before the week is over. In desiring self-improvement, you should be in it for the long-haul. Set your pace accordingly and let time work its power.
Happy New Year! I hope you and your families have a blessed holiday season and an incredible start to the new year!
[blog_subscription_form subscribe_text="Enter your email to receive weekly posts in your inbox"]