Change

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” – Rumi

We are closing in on the halfway point of 2019. How are those new year resolutions going? Here are some tips (from January) that may be helpful to keep you on course. Enjoy!

As we begin the new year the opportunity for change is palpable. Many people craving change will start their year with personal and professional resolutions. Unfortunately, many resolutions don’t make it past 30 days. Our old patterns draw us back, with their familiar comfort, and block us from creating the lasting habits that we know we need establish to reach our goals. The bottom line: change is hard. Here are some of the tips I have come across from various sources that resonated with me. I share them with you, in hopes that they will help you reach your goals in 2019.

1.      When you make decisions, make sure they are leading you (in some way) towards the ultimate goal. You only have so much energy so don’t waste it! There are so many things distracting us in the modern world. Taking a slight pause to consider how what you are doing is helping you get to where you want to be is well worth it. Simply put - course correction is easier earlier rather than later.

2.       Don’t change too many things at once. Focus on one change for at least 30 days and be consistent with it. Then once mastered, add another. If you make too many changes at once, you will be overwhelmed and fail at all of them. 

3.      Little things add up, so keep at it. Author and motivational speaker Simon Sinek summarized this idea by describing the impact of brushing your teeth. If you do it twice a day, every day, it leads to overall good dental health. You don’t notice the big impact in the moment, but only over time.

4.      Hard things are hard for a reason – because they are worth it! Yup. If it was easy, everyone would do it. This is at the heart of why most resolutions fail. Remember, change only comes when we are outside of our comfort zones.