As the new year rolls around, I believe it is essential that we spend time reflecting on every facet of our lives and evaluating whether or not the trajectory that we have been heading towards is what we desire for our life. While a lot of us do not engage in reflection on a day to day basis, introspection can be highly beneficial. Here are several thoughts to dwell on in the next few days before 2019 hits the ground running:
What am I doing about the things that matter most in my life
Have I done anything lately worth remembering?
What do you love about life?
What do I need to change about myself?
If not now, then when?
Did I achieve what I had set out to do in 2018? If not, then why not?
Is there anything holding me back in life?
Am I living the best that I can? Am I becoming the best person that I can be?
Goals for the new year are often set without giving yourself the chance to sort through the nuances that may allow you to form goals with more impact. A lot of us are content with the easier physical goals such as eating healthier or purchasing less materialistic items. With that in mind, the intangible matters as much as the physical so be sure to consider that as well. As you set your goals, here are several resources that I have explored which may be beneficial in allowing you to follow through with the goals you’ve dreamed up.
In the recent years, there has been a suggestion that dictates a shift in perspective. Goals vs Systems has been a largely understated topic with goals being a mentality that focuses on specific results whereas the systems perspective focuses largely on values and why you are incorporating these changes in your life.
For example, a goal would be to lose 10 pounds by the end of the year. A system would rather outline the steps necessary to reach the goal as well as the reason that this system is desired in your life. For example, a system in reference to the same goal would state eating healthy and exercising consistently in order to lose weight to maintain a healthy physical body and to strengthen willpower. The book by Scott Adams is a great resource to start to engage with the idea of building systems rather than writing goals.
2. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg
If you are an individual who, like the majority of the population, struggles with habits and changing negative habits, then this book is for you. It dives into the reward mechanisms with neuroscientific evidence to depict how habits can be changed.
“Willpower isn’t just a skill. It’s a muscle, like the muscles in your arms or legs, and it gets tired as it works harder, so there’s less power left over for other things.” -Charles Duhigg
There are plenty more resources that you can discover on your own, just remember that if you set your mind to anything and place consistent and mindful effort, you will be moving closer to who you aim to be in each passing day. May 2019 be the year for you.
*Other resources that are good reads:
The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People
How Champions Think: in Sports and in Life
Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength