As it happens every year, most of us have sat down and thought about it. Some have said to themselves ‘this year, I will give up smoking’, others would have said to themselves ‘this year I will hit the gym and lose weight’, this list goes on and on. It’s a global phenomenon called making new year resolutions. It does not stop here. A list of new year resolutions materialises and many actually put this list up in vantage locations so that they are not forgotten. Post it slips on the washroom mirror, cupboard and even the kitchen fridge. Then the new year rolls in, celebrations abound, work pressures mount up for the year and these resolutions slip by. Soon and often these lists hit the dustbin of the mind and the trash cart of the house.
Internet research reveals that “It is natural for humans to seek progress, both individually and inclusively. Self-betterment is one of the deepest-rooted desires of human nature. In today’s era where competition is tough, there are ample reasons that motivate a person to push himself or herself to become better and achieve greater heights”. Therefore, how can you leverage the urge to become a better person and a professional towards sustained success and progress? How to you re-resolve for a better year? How do you cultivate this mindset?
Transform your urge into serious determination
New Year resolutions should never be left as an urge-based impulse. Yes, it’s an internal calling or even inspired by peer or culture pressure but use it to really create a renewed list of dos and don’ts. Remember that often these resolutions are also goals that you really want to achieve which you list down, without the route map to achieve them. The best way to start off creating this list is to simply populate it based on what you want to change in you and why. Then prune the list down to what is real and what would border into a fantasy. The of course map the list down based on your capabilities and abilities. Then you start getting somewhere. Take a few of the most important ones, create the how and when and then blast off, but with every seriousness.
Change the way you usually- think and behave
Any betterment needs change and change means behaving differently. For example, if you re-resolve to be calm as it betters your mental and physical health, it shows in your behaviour. You are not seen to be irritable or loosing your temper at a drop of a hat. Changing your mindset is a very foundational change in your inner self. You literally stop being the person you were and become another person. Let’s look at even material goals which may be an important part of your new year resolve. Say you decide to double your savings in 2026. You will need to think and behave differently. Just to illustrate this point further you may stop any impulsive spending and move onto a planned spending mode. Or you may look at reinvesting or even look at ways to increase your income.
Identify a mindset change buddy
As I have said earlier in my articles, changing mindset is tough and needs a lot of grit and perseverance. Above all timely and real feedback as to the transformation you are making. There is a tendency during this mindset cultivation process that you can easily be lenient or overlook a surface change as a real change and them miss your mark and your target. We all have close friends, partners and family we trust. It’s best to identify and align with one such person about the resolutions you are planning to make. Take them into complete confidence during your self-analysis, gaps and shortlisted resolution targets. As you implement your resolution, this buddy will be invaluable in terms of giving you inputs as well as well deserved pats on your back.
“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow” – Albert Einstein
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