Why wait on January 1st to set yourself up to achieve your goals?
I was able to achieve my New Years Resolution before the New Year by following four simple steps:
- Identify your perceived obstacle
- Imagine what your life would look like if your perceived obstacle disappeared
- Make a plan to address your perceived obstacle
- Choose to live the life you imagined… today
These are the same steps I’ve outlined in my recent Tedx talk, How to Build Self Confidence. No matter what goals you want to accomplish, these four steps are the key to switching your mindset around the things we (falsely) believe are holding us back. The Tedx is about 10 minutes long and if you watch it and take action, you may find yourself achieving your New Years Resolutions in record time! Check it out and let me know what you think!
[Tweet “I was able to achieve my New Years Resolution before the New Year by following four simple steps: 1. Identify your perceived obstacle 2. Imagine what your life would look like if your perceived obstacle disappeared 3. Make a plan to address your perceived obstacle 4. Choose to live the life you imagined… today”]
The word Resolution is defined as “a firm decision to do or not to do something.” I don’t think it’s a problem to have a resolution, I do think it’s a problem to wait until January 1st to begin.
In 2014, I had two New Years Resolutions: lose weight and floss more. (What? Dental hygiene is very important!)
Somewhere around Thanksgiving, I shared my resolutions with a friend casually in conversation and for some reason, when I heard it coming out of my mouth it sounded… off.
That’s when it hit me– if weight loss and flossing embodied the height of my ambitions, I’d be looking at a seriously boring 12 months. I decided that if I was going to make “a firm decision to do or not do something”, then I needed to dream bigger!
I was honest with myself and this is the resolutions list I came up with:
- I want to quit my corporate job
- I want to launch the business I’ve been dreaming about
- I want to travel more
- I want to find my soulmate, get married and have babies
The list was exciting and terrifying, but it was the truth. Those were the things I wanted in 2015.
Have you ever seen someone put a barrier in front of their desire? I know I have.
I have a friend who spoke constantly about getting her MBA, but what she really wanted was a promotion at work. She thought she couldn’t get a promotion at work unless she had a different degree, but it turns out her experience was more than enough to get her the new position she wanted.
I thought I couldn’t accomplish the things on my resolutions list unless I changed my appearance, but it as actually my mindset that needed to change.
Around Thanksgiving of that year (weeks before most people kick of their resolutions), I started to challenge myself to choose things that would get me closer to the life I wanted, instead of the way I thought I should look. When I challenged myself to choose rather than change, decisions that seemed super complicated just one day earlier became so simple.
Instead of obsessing over my weight, I chose to obsess over what it would look like if I quit my job.
Instead of tracking how many evenings in a row I was flossing, I tracked how many evenings in a row I worked on my business idea.
Instead of waiting until I lost weight to go on a beach vacation, I could chose to buy a plus size bikini and book a trip to Miami.
On Christmas Day, 2014 I looked at my 2015 Resolutions list and to my surprise, I had accomplished most of my New Years Resolutions before the year even started.
[Tweet “What if our New Years Resolution was to CHOOSE what makes us happy, instead of to CHANGE the way we look?”]
I want to quit my corporate job in 2015
I chose to stop believing I wasn’t ready or that going out on my own wouldn’t work for “someone like me”. I chose to believe that the savings I’d built up for this very moment was enough to get me through the transition. I chose to take the risk.
I quit my job on December 5th, 2014 weeks before my January 1st 2015 resolution date. I’ve been self employed now for four years and I recently signed the lease on my dream apartment here in NYC!
For me it was quitting my job. Maybe in your case, it’s moving to a new city, ending a bad relationship or something as “simple” as trying a new hairstyle. January 1st wont make those decisions any less uncomfortable, but the sooner you get out of your comfort zone the sooner you get to experience what life outside your comfort zone is all about.
[Tweet “Why wait until January 1st? Let’s start on our resolutions TODAY”]
I want to launch the business I’ve been dreaming about
My co-founder and I sold the clothes out of our closets for capital and in 2015 theCURVYcon launched in NYC. Four years later, our convention is attended by amazing, inspiring women like Ashley Graham, Chrissy Metz and Venus Williams. I was humbled when a Vogue article said theCURVYcon is “the nexus point for plus size fashion.”
I bought the domain for theCURVYcon in 2014, before the new year (are you seeing a theme here?) and never looked back.
Something I observe is that getting started is really hard, but once you choose to begin, things have a way of falling into place!
[Tweet “Do something TODAY that your future self will thank you for…”]
I want to travel more
I bought a plus size polka dot bikini in December 2014 and was poolside with my friends in January 2015. This was one of the more simple resolutions to accomplish, but my body insecurities held me back. This is when my mantra “don’t wait on your weight” came in handy– I took a deep breath, booked the trip and had the time of my life! Since then I’ve traveled around the world to places like Cuba, Nigeria and I’m currently planning a trip to the Seychelles!
[Tweet “Don’t wait on your weight to live the life you want”]
I want to find my soulmate, get married and have babies
This hasn’t happened yet, but I know that it will eventually. ILet’s celebrate staying out of bad relationships as much as we celebrate falling in love. By letting go of relationships that don’t serve me, I’m open and available for the relationships that do. In the meantime, accomplishing my other three resolutions has given me such a full and abundant life that I’m having a great time while I wait for Mr. Right to appear.
[Tweet “Lets celebrate staying out of bad relationships as much as we celebrate falling in love.”]
The word Resolution is defined as “a firm decision to do or not to do something.” What firm decisions can you make for your life right now? Don’t wait on January 1st to start on your resolutions… start your resolution right now!
