Happy New Year! 
It’s fun to think of all the possibilities that lie before you at the beginning of a brand New Year! Do you have a new business or personal goal you are really excited about?
For many years in my business, I approached a New Year excited about how much I was going to accomplish in my business. I would say to myself, THIS year I’ll reach the goal that has been eluding me. Then, I would move through the year making small changes, yet basically running things very similarly to previous years. And, as you can guess, I did not meet the exciting goals I had set for myself. This year, I have decided to “do it differently”! For example my new newsletter format. You’ll also be hearing more about the ways I will “do it differently” this year over the next few months.
Change is scary. Change can be exhilarating. Change can be difficult. Change can be fun. Change can cause a ripple effect — when you make one change, you find you have to make another change and another change, etc. Change can be healthy. Change can be necessary.
Have you ever wanted to make a sizeable change and you’ve hemmed and hawed for a very long time? Then after you made the change, you tell everyone you wished you had made the change sooner. Most of us can relate to this situation at one point in our lives.
What would you like to do differently this year? For some people it will be to change the way they manage their time or their finances. For other people it will be changing the way they run their business or approach their professional life. And for others it will be to improve their health and well-being.
One thing I have observed with regards to making changes is for most people, making sweeping changes is not the best solution. Although I admit I have worked with people who ONLY can make sweeping changes and if that’s you, please skip this paragraph… Why not make sweeping changes in your life? Because when you change everything at once, it can really cause you to feel off balance and often the result is to throw in the towel very quickly when you backslide. The reality is backsliding (returning to what’s comfortable), especially when you’re busy and frazzled, will probably happen. That’s okay, as long as the next day or very shortly after, you take yourself back out of your comfort zone and continue on the path to making that change a reality.
Did you know it takes approximately 21 days for something to become a habit? Once something becomes a habit, it becomes more natural to do <that thing> automatically, without adding stress or having inner conflict. Why is knowing this very important to you? Because when you backslide after two days and you get frustrated with yourself, you can use this information to remind yourself that change does not usually happen overnight. It takes time, perseverance and consistency to make the change permanent.
Another tip about making a change is to find an accountability partner. This person can help you stay on track so you successfully make this change. The other great thing about having an accountability partner is you can support him/her as he/she makes a change. An accountability partner can be a friend, significant other, colleague or coach (like me!).
The New Year is a great time to make changes. Don’t be afraid to do it differently…just think how many innovations you would have missed out on, if the inventor did NOT do it differently!
Although, I suspect this quote doesn’t apply to you, it may help to keep the following definition handy:
What fun it will be to see how you will do it differently in 2017!
- Are You Crazy? - June 21, 2019
- To-Do Lists: Reasons to Love Them - May 10, 2019
- Keep It Simple - April 26, 2019
