If you’re like most of us, you’re gearing up for some new guidelines of self-management in the new year — the so-called "New Year’s Resolutions" that so many of us commit to in good faith, only to have them fall by the wayside as the year progresses.
It’s not for me to comment on your follow through or lack thereof, since I certainly haven’t walked a mile in your moccasins, but I don’t see the point of making grandiose gestures toward sweeping shifts, only to fall short. I’d rather see you aim at something meaningful yet reasonable, and then actually follow through on it, whatever it takes.
This tortoise-not-hare mentality doesn’t mean to aim too low or expect too little of yourself. There are definitely times to stretch and push yourself far outside the envelope. I’m just suggesting that getting the new year off to a great start will build momentum, and you can take more chances down the road if you accumulate a little "house money" to play with. Get a few wins under your belt, and it will generate incentive to blaze new trails.
So, if you find yourself scribing a laundry list of self-corrections and adjustments, let the brainstorming process go to completion, because you’ll get out some good ideas. Just resist the impulse to try to implement all the changes at the same time. That’s not personal growth, that's a spasm.
Unless you are highly skilled in change technology, it will be unfair to expect yourself to install all of those new patterns at once and maintain them all at the optimal intensity. Rather, it makes sense to pace yourself throughout the year, prioritizing these resolutions in a logical sequence and pursuing them at a rate and in a combination you can actually handle and take to fruition.
This will give you a whole new way to look at new year’s resolutions — not that you have to do them all wire-to-wire each year, at which few people ever succeed. Instead, set a schedule of implementation over the course of the year, and let these be your resolutions for the entirety of the new year, even when it’s not so new. By spreading the work over more time, and by avoiding putting yourself into overwhelm, you dramatically improve your likelihood of adopting these new behaviors into your repertoire and reaping the benefits that accompany such self-improvement.
Those of us who are truly serious about success love this time of year — it’s a time for new beginnings, for leaving past challenges behind and anticipating the very best to come. I urge you to dial into the opportunity that lies before you with the advent of each new cycle — there are no limits to the joys and rewards you can attract. I’ve just found that when I arrange a schedule of productivity for myself, and hold myself to a high standard of execution, I have the least stress and the most to show for my efforts.
This past year, I turned fifty and celebrated my 25th wedding anniversary. As I put on the mileage, I realize how much I have to be grateful for, and how much more I have to look forward to. Life is good, if you look at it right — let’s not forget it. Happy New Year, and let’s make it a great one!
Dennis Perman DC, for The Masters Circle
PS Please join us at our first quarter seminar in Chicago, SF and NJ, called "Raising The Bar Of Chiropractic Practice." Learn how raising your standards and working smarter can build your practice! To register, please visit themasterscircle.com, or call 800-451-4514. Thank you
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