December is the time of the year when I start thinking about making resolutions for the upcoming year. I usually have a long list of things I want to change. A recent road trip down South gave me time to think. As the miles slipped by, I thought back to previous years and how I made my resolutions on Jan. 1 and by Feb. 1 I was feeling defeated because I had fallen back into my old ways.
We start the year off excited and convinced that we are going to stick to our resolutions this time, but we don’t. It’s too much all at once. During my drive it hit me. Why did I feel like I had to wait until Jan. 1 to make a change? Every day is a new day, a fresh start, an opportunity to start over. Why should I wait until the New Year and get upset when I miss my goal? Then give up completely and go back to life as it was before I made the resolution. This year I decided to do something different. Instead of resolutions, I came up with a list of things I wanted to do for this upcoming year. Things I felt were doable, things that wouldn’t make me feel like a loser. Instead of trying to add them all in during the first month of the new year I would incorporate them throughout the year. Here is my list below.
Monthly Check-ins
Instead of waiting until the month of December to reflect on your life, decide to check in at the end of each month. At that time, evaluate what went well and what didn’t. Decide what you need to do more of and what you need to stop doing. Don’t rush through this exercise. Really think about any changes you need to make.
Have a Master Plan
Decide what is important, what you want to get accomplished, how you want to feel once it is accomplished, who can help you, and what resources you need. Then work toward that plan. No longer should you just act and react. Everything you do should fit into your master plan.
Ditch Information Overload
There is a lot of information coming at you all day every day from many different sources. Social media has taken over our lives. There are webinars, podcasts, Periscopes. My inbox is full every day with someone trying to sell or teach me something. Free offers and paid offers are mines for the taking. It can become overwhelming. For 2017, make some choices. Decide which people you are going to follow. Cultivate those relationships. Only read and implement information and strategies from them. There is a lot if information out there, but it might not be right for you right now. When you are feeling overwhelmed turn off your screen. Relax, breathe, meditate, and spend time with your family and friends. Give yourself time to refresh.
Stop being an Information Collector
Are you guilty of collecting information and then not implementing? Do you have folders of notes from workshops, webinars, and trainings that you have tucked away in a drawer never to be seen again? Get rid of it if you are not going to do anything with it. Make 2017 the year of implementation.
This article was written by, The BOSS Network Influencer, Conchetta Jones.
Conchetta Jones is an author, model, speaker, and certified Overflow Coach. As founder/owner of She’s All That! Woman. A personal development and lifestyle company, she helps women to identify the obstacles in their lives that are keeping them stuck from living the life of their dreams.
Learn more about Conchetta via her website at www.satwoman.com
Follow her on Twitter @_satwoman