How about those New Years Resolutions?
Waste of time? or not!
It’s that time of year, the time when everybody looks back on the old year and wonders where it all went. 2011 was going to be the year where your life finally came together; where you are focused on serious goals; where you finally break out of ordinary and more on to outrageous. At the finish line, I find that 2011 didn’t meet those expectations. I have some thoughts about that which will go into another post. Right now I’m focused on 2012, an empty slate full of potential. How should I approach this opportunity to extract every ounce of potential? What resolves should I embrace to position myself for accomplishing my goals?
Be strategic, not emotional.
I’ve changed my perspective on New Years resolutions. In the past I always thought about changes that I wanted to accomplish: things like losing 20 pounds, finding a new job, saving money. I mostly failed with those resolutions and I eventually gave up on resolutions like I think most everybody else.
What I have learned is that accomplishing those goals is a result of changing myself. I need to be the person who weighs less, attracts new job opportunities and makes better spending decisions. Changing how I live can ultimately give me the results I want. Staying as I am will keep me where I am. Making those resolutions without changing myself is a waste of time.
It is the means and not the end.
It is easy to get focused on the end result because that is where the emotional satisfaction is produced. The completed task is easy to picture and describe. But picturing the finishes product tells nothing about how to make it happen. The problem lies in the actions necessary to accomplish them. The how is almost never a part of a resolution and without a how the path to the end goal may not be clear. Without a clear path it is easy to miss the target. And the clear path is changing yourself. It is a process. It means losing old habits and forming new ones. It means venturing into new territory outside ‘normal’. It means growing and changing. It means taking control instead of being controlled. Ans it feels pretty uncomfortable and not very satisfying for a long time.
No wonder that New Years resolutions aren’t taken seriously. Without a plan, they are more like wishes for a fairy godmother than a resolve to change your life.
Instead of those traditional New Years resolutions that you give up on almost before you start, I have a different suggestion. Make a resolve to make a change in your habits. Acting differently is something that you can start on January 1. You can claim success right from the start. But even better, if you select the right habit to change you become the person you want to be.
[...] One of the things leaders know that followers don’t is that people can learn and change. If you are making New Year’s Resolutions this year, don’t wish for the results. Resolve to change yourself. [...]
Solid advice Ralph. I’m actually practicing what you’re preaching with my resolve to loose ten pounds and get back into ‘really good’ shape next year when I turn 65 and enter the glorious land of Medicare.
Hansi’s last Blog Post ..No Years Resolutions
[Reply]
Ralph@Retirement Lifestyle Reply:
December 31st, 2011 at 9:19 am
Don’t forget the how, Hansi. What changes will you make in your lifestyle to make those things happen?
[Reply]
Hansi Reply:
January 1st, 2012 at 7:49 am
OK, you asked for it. In order to get into a high level of physical conditioning or shape, one needs a training program. As I’m interested in not only physical strength, but cardio-vascular endurance, I need to lift weights 4 times a week and do “cardio” at least twice a week in addition to my daily bicycle rides to the gym. In order to make ones workouts the most effective, one has to eat well (low fat diet) and get plenty of rest. For me that means cutting out foods with little nutritional value and stop drinking wine at dinner (wine/alcohol tends to disrupt sleep patterns).
Mentally, I’ve got to have a goal in mind, but not something rigid that sets me up for failure. I know there will be plateaus, and see them as consolidation periods for the next bump up in conditioning. Losing weight from 197 to 185 pounds will happen on its own, but may be slow, especially if I’m adding muscle mass.
Most importantly, is making a training program a lifestyle change. Which is easy enough if what you’re doing makes ya feel good. Basically, for me, the changes I’m making are moderate, and not difficult to achieve, as I’m basically doing them already; I’m just adding a little (a lot) more intensity to it all.
Hansi’s last Blog Post ..No Years Resolutions
[Reply]
Ralph Reply:
January 1st, 2012 at 8:06 am
Hansi,
You seem to have it all under control. You are a tee-totaling, fat-shunning lifter.