“New Year’s Resolution” Vs. Your Personal 2018 Blueprint
As we look back and reflect on the powerful moments that made 2017 special, it’s only natural to look forward with hope for the changes we want to make in 2018.
“New Year’s Resolutions” often fail for a couple of reasons. For one, they fail because they start with the end in mind.
It is easy to want to be a rockstar without also wanting: the years of living in a van with 5 other sweaty smelly dudes; traveling the country from shitty bar to shitty bar; all while making no money with little to no chance of ever achieving success. It is easy to want to lose 20 pounds, without: wanting to meal prep; wake up an hour earlier; all while giving up our comfort foods. It’s easy to want to run a marathon without: wanting to join run groups, stretch daily to stay healthy; all while keeping a consistent run schedule despite the problems that life throws at us.
It is easy to want the reward without also wanting the discipline and difficulty necessary to achieve it. It is easy to start with the end in mind without wanting to ask ourselves the difficult questions to make sure we are starting off the right way for the right reasons.
What if instead of picking restrictive resolutions for 2018 we create a blueprint for ourselves, an editable sketch of who we are and how we want our lives to play out in 2018?
Blueprints start by asking why?—You can’t sketch out a blueprint if you don’t know the purpose of the structure. Blueprints are responsible for shaping the direction of the build. Blueprints allow us to foreshadow the future intended design, but also allow us the freedom to make edits as necessary when we begin building.
Instead of making “New Year’s Resolutions” follow these 5 steps to create your personal 2018 Blueprint:
1. Lock Down Your Identity
2. Take Responsibility for Your Life
3. Create Your focus for 2018
4. Take Consistent, Imperfect, Action Toward Your goal
5. Start Now
1. Lock Down Your Identity
Who you are (your identity) will shape your values and give form to your character.
Your values & character will help you to determine your purpose.
Living into your purpose, over the course of your life, will create your legacy.
Take some time, even 5-10 minutes to jot down a personal “I am” statement, detailing who you are, what values, or virtuous character traits, are most important to you, and what your purpose is that will shape the course of your life.
2. Take Responsibility for Your Life
You may not be at fault for where you are at, for the circumstances of your life, but you are responsible for both:
1. How you interpret the story of your life.
2. What are you going to do about it?
You get to choose, and have the responsibility to choose, what you want to put your time and energy into in the new year.
Think:
• Where do you want to be in 5 years?
• What goal would you go after if you were 100% guaranteed success?
• What legacy do you want to leave behind after you are gone?
We also get to choose, and have the responsibility to choose, what success means to us. We get to determine the metrics by which we determine the standards of our success. This is wholly empowering when we embrace the concept.
Think: If we reframe success to be “taking action working towards our goal”, then any action (even actions that result in us backsliding) becomes a part of our success!
3. Create Your Focus For 2018
Ask Yourself:
1. To what purpose do I choose to give my time and energy to?
2. What goals are markers of my success? Meaning: what goals can I work towards that are proof that I am living into my purpose?
3. How do I need to grow in order to be successful? Meaning: What values do I need to develop in myself, what relationships do I need to build or mend, what knowledge do I need to obtain for me to reach my goals?
4. Take Consistent Imperfect Action Toward Your Goals
The best way to stay get and stay motivated is to take action.
We often think of the formula in reverse: first we need motivation, then we will act.
But we are more successful when we reverse the formula: action can create motivation.
Do not be dissuaded by failure—in order to fail we have to first take action. Remember, If our success is defined as “taking action working towards our goal”, then failure is a result of our success—even failure is a sign that we are working towards our goal.
Do not stop taking action. Your action will motivate you to continue to take action. Keep taking action.
5. Start Now.
(Use Your Best Arnold Schwarzenegger Voice While Reading “Do It, Do It Now!”)
What is the smallest action you can take to work toward your goal? Do it, do it now!
What is the smallest daily habit you can form to work toward your goal? Do it, do it now!
Do not wait for a time, or place, or event to occur before you start taking action. Love yourself so much that you do not wait a single day to start growing into your greatest potential. Do it, do it now!
Reach Out For Help
If you need help goal setting for the new year, reach out to me! Remember that personal training and having a personal nutrition coach are the fastest ways to reach your 2018 health & fitness goals. There is no substitute for coaching and accountability.
You’re still here? What are you waiting for… go live into your purpose. Take action today towards whatever it is that sets your soul on fire. Do it, do it now!