You can take the pressure off yourself, if you want to. You can set intentions, and set goals, and show up in the new decade with a lot of positivity, AND know that nothing will magically change overnight, and that’s okay. Or, if you’re not feeling it – and you’re a little bit worn, a little bit frayed, a little bit uncertain – that’s okay too. It’s not a verdict on the year.
New Year’s Day simply provides a rhythm. It’s a reminder to reflect, and to think about what kind of positive changes you may want to make, but there’s nothing magical about January 1st, and you don’t need to accomplish everything by January 2nd.
Picture the next year as a suitcase. A very finite suitcase that can only carry so much. Put the most important things in first.
This is the work of January.
Here’s another perspective: Who you are matters way more than anything you do, and everything you do flows out of who you are. The paradox, though, is that it’s often in the doing that we become.
Who do you want to be? And how can you set yourself up to be that person?
Choose one very important and impactful thing to focus on in January, and let that be it.
Of course you’ll still have to maintain daily life, but in terms of setting goals and making changes, choose one main thing to focus on, and take action that is aligned with that single primary goal. This allows you to make meaningful progress on the most important thing.
When we try to make too many changes at once, or spread ourselves among too many projects, we become overwhelmed, stressed, and ineffective.
And just to clarify, taking action could very easily mean removing something from your schedule, not necessarily adding something. It’s all about what matters most.
When we put time and effort into things that don’t really matter to us or don’t have an impact, that creates stress. On the other hand, when we put time and effort into things that move the needle in a way that feels rewarding and worthwhile, that creates a sense of traction. It feeds a sense of hope because we begin to see that we’re capable of change. It provides direction for us because we start to see what works and what doesn’t. And it’s in the action that we’ll find the most clues about our purpose, and what we want to create.
So take the pressure off yourself.
One main thing.
That’s all.
Happy New Year, friends!!
