“Many people think they lack motivation when what they really lack is clarity.” – James Clear, Atomic Habits
January starts the annual rite of resolution-making. Get healthy, go to the gym, take up a new hobby, etc. We get fired up and go with a vengeance, fast, furious in full throttle mode. Enthusiasm and energy at an all-time high. By late January, we’re exhausted, start to dial back our trips to the gym, eat the bag of chips and our habits and intentions unravel one inaction at a time.
The month is young so there’s still time to get this year’s resolutions off your list next year. A few adjustments now can be the difference between success and disappointment.
Create daily rituals to focus your attention, intentions and energy to follow through with action. A few habits that have made a big difference are starting the morning slowly. As soon as I wake up, I make a cup of coffee and write in my journal using Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages technique. Writing three pages long hand, no editing, whatever comes to mind. This practice allows subconscious thoughts to rise to the surface before they get buried in the busyness of the day. It often is random and usually exposes the root of things that have been weighing on my mind, helps me solve a problem and releases new ideas. No rules, just free-flow writing allowing whatever comes to mind to land on paper. This writing is not meant to be shared with anyone. It’s a technique to unravel your thoughts, roadblocks and ideas. However, it often is the basis for articles on Cast-Light and Start3Things. Try it for one month without missing a day and I promise this habit will stick and be the foundation for other habits forming.
Julia Cameron’s other technique is the artists date where you go somewhere by yourself once a week to change up the scenery, discover patterns, create new connections, found in the action of wandering with no particular destination.
Meditation using the Insight Timer app grounds each day to focus effort and attention. Music, guided meditation for 10 minutes gets the day going in the right direction.
Before making resolutions, be clear on the reason why you want to lose weight. To play with your kids? To run a 5k in March? To have more energy? Specificity and emotional connection will both inspire and motivate you beyond the initial pain of building muscle and necessary repetition to make real change last.
Accountability – have a daily plan and check it off when you are done to create the cadence and record progress. Celebrate daily wins of repetition and discipline.
Give up the long undoable list of annual resolutions and roll them out through the year as you make progress and complete a few. Each accomplishment builds confidence and leads to the next success.
Be specific in your actions and break down big goals into small steps daily to get to the finish line, not in January but by March. Things that are meaningful and lasting, take time, consistent effort and small steps to sustainable results.
James Clear, author of Atomic Habits notes that tiny changes transform into sustainable behavior. Repetition creates progress. Habits begin with a trigger to act so make it easy to follow through by using cues. If you are working out in the morning, put your work out clothes out the night before. Don’t over think it, just start before you talk yourself out of it. Don’t allow feelings to stop you from starting. Do it, especially if you don’t feel like it. Reward yourself when you complete the task. Tracking and celebrating will lead to success so when January, 2022 comes, the resolutions on your list are different than this year because you’ve accomplished them.
Happy New Year and New Day! Stick to it and always choose action over perfection. Start3Things!
“What we really want to do is what we are really meant to do. When we do what we are meant to do, money comes to us, doors open for us, we feel useful, and the work we do feels like play to us.” - Julia Cameron
