Well, here we are again. It’s the end of the year and everyone is talking about New Year’s Resolutions. If deciding to do something different changed things, I would be all for it. But think about it. How well does the annual New Year resolution process work? If the empty gyms at the end of January are any indication, not that well.
Here’s my question for you: Is there something in your life that you WOULD like to change?
If you COULD change that thing, what would it give you?
What has NOT changing that thing cost you so far? (Example for me: Years ago, I went through a period of weight gain where none of my clothes fit. Changing them out one at a time seemed like a small cost. I justified it as “natural growth.” Looking at the cost of a whole new wardrobe was a big wakeup call!)
Still wish to change that thing? Then how committed are you to changing it? Scale of 1-10, with 10 be super-committed. Where does your number lie?
Now, before we get to changing that thing, whatever it is, I’m going to suggest something slightly radical.
Start with love.
Love what is.
Love the part of you that wishes what is, was something else.
Love the struggle.
Love the awkward, unfulfilled, good-intentioned, sometimes brilliant, sometimes self-critical person that inhabits your body every day.
Breathe love into your heart. Do it for one minute. And one minute more.
Do you feel more energized? (The answer is yes – unless your inner self critic decided to rise up and call BS on all this love stuff. Thank the itty-bitty-shitty committee for the feedback and return to breathing love in your heart. Send an extra dose of love to your inner critics.)
Now, from this space, let’s consider what we would like to change in our future, which just so happens to be occurring with a new number at the end of the date on the calendar.
Over the next week, I’m going to be doing a “prior year review”, which I learned from Tim Ferriss and have adapted to fit me. I will review the calendar, my emails and other correspondence. I’ve made two columns in my journal: Energizers and De-energizers. As I go through the past year, month by month, I will put the highlights and lowlights as they fit in each column.
Then I’m going to review the beliefs that I have changed over the last year. Last year around this time, I posted a blog titled Trusting Yourself, and stated my intention to continue to upgrade my belief system this year. I can already think of a couple of huge belief-shifting moments I’ve had in the last year. I’m sure I will find more.
Finally, I’m going to declare my intention for what type of capacity/capabilities I would like to build in the next year. One of the ways I plan to do this is to review my conversations with my many podcast guests and glean the nuggets of wisdom I would like to carry forward with me.
I will let you know how it all goes next week. If you got into the exercise at the beginning of this note, then consider doing a prior year review for yourself. You can either do it the way Tim Ferriss describes here, or make up your own way. It’s your life, after all!
PS: I borrow the term “itty-bitty-shitty committee” from Jane Pike, one of the wonderful, quotable humans I met at Warwick Schiller’s podcast summit last year. She’s a brilliant excavator of inner confidence.