It’s a new year and a new decade. It’s a milestone that brings with it new opportunity. It’s wonderful in the way that we all celebrate the passage of time and a shift into the new together. All of us sharing the milestone makes it a great time for reflection and planning for the future because of the accountability that can come with it.
Any time we reflect on our experiences, it’s important to evaluate what we want from our next phase. Gretchen Rubin wrote about her personal journey in her book The Happiness Project. She had a set of challenges that she undertook as part of the changes that she desired from life. Gretchen reflected on some of her experiences and expressed an important idea:
“You hit a goal. You keep a resolution.”
It’s an important distinction to make as you outline what you want from your next phase: a goal is finite and measurable while a resolution is more fundamental and involves a shift in habit. As you set goals, determine the fundamental habits you need to develop to reach them. Develop a plan to do so – jumping in blindly is an easy way to cut short any success you may want to have.
Charles Guhigg’s book The Power of Habit is a good starting place for ideas on how to develop a plan to keep your resolutions (this link covers the framework). Charles defines habits as “the cue, the routine, and the reward.” It’s important to recognize that simple cues and clear rewards help build habits. This doesn’t stray from the timeless notion to “keep it simple silly” (KISS).
It’s a new year and a new decade. Reflect on the impact. Who do you want to become and what impact do you want to have in the future? What will it take? The changes you make can have an amazing effect on your life and the lives of those around you.
