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Resolutions.

Goals.

Habits, Rituals, Systems.

Word of the Year.

Don’t do that one, but be sure to do this one. This one is the one that will help you be successful, and that one well, it is just a good thought. Every year around this time, it seems that all we hear about is why we must set resolutions but that resolutions don’t work. Why goals are the way to go as long as they are SMART or better yet SMARTER, and that will be the thing that works this year to make it the best. But then who needs goals when you set up better habits that create rituals and systems that will be the most beneficial. Best yet, don’t focus on those things, and be sure to find the word that resonates and will be your focus this year. As long as you do your best to bring all your decisions back to that word and get rid of what doesn’t fit, then you will have the best year ever. 

It makes my head spin. I can choose one way to go, but I am guaranteed to hear about how there is a better way and that I need to adjust for a more prosperous time. But what if they are all good? What if goals work? What if resolutions stick? What if habits, rituals, and systems change things? What if the word of the year is it? How crazy would it be if everyone was right?

See, the more I think about how to go about planning for a successful year, the more I am convinced that it does not matter what method you choose as long as you do the work. For some, it is going to be setting the all too popular New Year’s Resolutions. For others, it is going to be filling out their planner with their goals and when they are going to accomplish them. For another, it’s going to be establishing new habits, rituals, and systems that will lead them to the success they want. Then for still others finding the word that will keep them grounded and focused will be the thing that gets them there. As different as humanity is, no one way will work for everyone. And that’s perfectly fine, and it is beautiful. It goes to show us that in our uniqueness, we can find the way that works best.

There is one thing, besides actually putting in the work, regardless of the method you choose, that remains the same. To be successful in whatever manner you choose, you are going to have to let go of something. See, we can’t do it all, and often, there are things in our lives that will be in constant competition or direct opposition to what we are trying to do. We cannot keep doing what we have always done while trying to add something new. I cannot keep eating like crap and add working out, hoping that I will shed all kinds of weight. I might lose some excess, but I will not be as successful as I might want to be. 

Far too often, I think we look at what we want to accomplish or achieve, and yet, we pay little attention to the things we have to let go of to get there. Yes, we know we need to eat better, sleep more, have less screen time, work out more, be more consistent in our writing, our creativity. Until we begin to let go of what has kept us stuck for so long, we will continue to struggle. We will continue to wonder why we cannot seem to get to the place we want to be. So rather than focus on what we need to let go of, we move onto the other idea that might work better. 

So as the new year kicks off, choose the method that resonates with you the most. Make resolutions. Set goals, create new habits, rituals, and systems. Find the word that will be your focus for the year. Then do the work necessary, but be sure to evaluate what it is in your life that you need to let go of so you have the margin to take on something new. The person you want to be is not just at the end of what you change, but what you choose to let go of as well.

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