Every new year we start strong with the resolve to build and create a better version of ourselves. We start with good intentions, but struggle to maintain motivation towards long lasting change. This year Fix Your Mindset by bringing purpose to your News Year’s Resolution. Start by identifying your performance goal ie.) New Year’s Resolution. Find a deeper meaning by practicing ‘the 5 whys’. Then create a strategy to support your why by asking, “How?”. Lastly decide exactly what it is you’re willing to do by committing to the process.
Start with Why
Once you know what your Performance Goal is this year, bring meaning and purpose by practicing the 5 whys. 1.) Why is your resolution important to you? 2.) Why is the answer to that question important to you? 3.) Why is the answer to that question important to you? 4.) Keep asking why. 5.) Keep asking why. By the end your performance goal will have a deeper meaning that provides long lasting motivation for change.
For example, my new year’s resolution is to use less plastic. That’s important to me because… Excessive plastic consumption hurts the environment. An unhealthy environment leads to global warming. Global warming makes our planet an unsafe place to live. An unsafe planet will cause millions of species (including humans) to suffer. This suffering could impact future generations of my family. (The Effects of Global Warming by National Geographic)
Create a Strategy for How
Bringing purpose to your resolution is a powerful motivator for lasting change, but can feel overwhelming if you try to change too much at once. Avoid getting overwhelmed and the temptation to quit by creating three challenging, but achievable strategies for how. For example, it’s possible to reduce excessive consumption of plastic by ordering drinks without a straw, carrying a refillable water bottle, and using cloth bags when shopping.
Decide What You’re Willing to Do
Meaningful, long-lasting change doesn’t happen overnight. It’s important to recognize what you’re willing/able to do and what you’re not. There is no way that I could commit to reducing all plastic consumption by tomorrow. Instead I can reference back to my strategies for how and decide what I’m willing to do.
What if I’m on the road and my drink requires a lid? I’ll have to use a straw, but I’m willing to order drinks in a glass with no straw as often as possible. Sometimes I’ll be at a venue that doesn’t allow outside drinks to be brought in. I’ll have to buy a plastic water-bottle, but I can commit to keeping a re-usable water bottle in my car, at work, and in my gym bag. Finally, sometimes I’ll forget my cloth bags at home or in the car. At least I can request paper bags or carry my items out of the store.
Create the Best Version of You
New Year’s Resolutions (or any performance goal for that matter) aren’t meant to stress you out or cause you to beat yourself up when you’re not perfect. They’re meant to a be a motivator to keep you on task with your process. Bring purpose to your process daily by asking yourself why, creating a strategy for how, and deciding what you’re willing to do. Keep the big picture in mind as you passionately pursue the best version of you.