New Year, New Me.
The prospect of a fresh start is enticing and filled with hope.
There have been a few years in the past where in my endeavor to turn over a leaf in the new year, I've tried to make too many changes too soon.
I'd start with full gusto on Jan 1 with 7 to 10 drastic changes in my routine. Some of these were - waking up early, working out or walking for an hour, eating healthy, spending my time productively, maintaining a journal, spending time in prayer, etc.
As you'd have observed, all those are good practices. In fact, you'd have come across many of them being propagated on social media as 'Millionaire Morning Routines'.
However, I'd not be able to sustain any of them. My motivation waned quickly and the thought of constantly having to exert my willpower got the better of me. Slowly, I'd give up on one practice, then 2, and then it would seem that nothing was worth doing if I didn't do everything.
The all or nothing mindset used to take over and a week or so into the new year, I was back to my old ways.
This was how it was for me.
It doesn't have to be that way for you.
This new year, follow these 3 guidelines to make your New Year Resolutions last and increase the chances of meeting your aspirations:
1. Start small - start with 1 tiny change or maximum 3 tiny changes
2. Celebrate your wins - each day that you do your tiny behaviors; pat yourself for being the person who works towards your aspirations.
3. Stay open to making changes - review which changes you're able to stick to and which one's you're not able to. For the latter, ask yourself these 2 questions:
What's making this difficult to do?
How can I make this easier for me to do?
Iterate and make changes as needed.
Fast forward to the present, these 3 guidelines based on the Tiny Habits Method have helped me create habits like exercising, meditation, gratitude, reading, procrastinating procrastination ;), and many others.
Tiny Habits Recipes:
For creating a walking habit: After I brush my teeth, I will walk for 2 minutes.
For creating a reading habit: After I have lunch, I will read 1 paragraph of a book.
For developing a meditation habit: After I get ready in the morning, I will focus on my breath for 3 breaths.
Image: Images Rouges @ Canva
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