I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you might miss it.
Ferris Bueller
Many of us are beginning to write some of our New Years resolutions. I love it – the idea that we can become someone new, that we are able to better ourselves through our own actions. However, It’s important we also appreciate the efforts we’ve already taken, not just this year but throughout our lives.
Just like watching grass grow, we can’t see the changes happening around or within us unless we widen our perspective.
As we move into the new year, look back at just how much you’ve grown. If you were standing next to your younger self, don’t you think they would be blown away by the problems you’ve worked through? Wouldn’t they be amazed at how much you’ve learned and by who you’ve become in the face of adversity?
Maybe you’ve pushed yourself to chase your dream job, start a family, overcome a battle with breast cancer, or you’re taking the time to work through your past traumas to truly understand yourself. In whatever avenue you’ve pursued, you’ve no doubt discovered newfound wisdom and gained greater self-mastery.
Think of all of the things you’ve had to overcome in your life – how without them, you wouldn’t be the person you are today.
When we do this, we begin to see that so-called failures or setbacks haven’t given us what we wanted but rather the lessons we’ve needed. Even in moments of failure, I find I have the most pride in the grit it took to get through those hard times. Don’t you?
Success is then no longer a celebration of physical accomplishments but rather a reminder to look at who we’ve become in the process of getting to where we are now.
Soon we are able to see the opportunities we’ve taken advantage of and with each choice, we take one more step toward our best selves – one who is more courageous, grateful, loving, and patient.
You’ve been through a lot and only you could have handled these challenges the way you did. You’ve certainly come out mentally stronger on the other side.
I think your younger self would be proud and amazed by what you’ve done and who you’ve become.
I used to misunderstand the idea of the term “self-love.” I thought it meant stroking the ego when in fact, it’s a show of respect, a bow to ourselves. It’s self-respect and gratitude for all of these little things we do to better ourselves.
What I’m asking you to do is not to stop looking for ways to improve yourself, but to respect that you’ve already had a huge impact on the course of your own life. Small actions have led to bigger moments. These moments required courage, strength of character, and love. You can become anyone you want to be. You just have to put in a little work on your end.
As you create your New Years resolutions this year, I want you to have a picture in your mind of your best self. Who would you like to become? Look at where you would be in every category of life from financial freedom to health to spiritual development.
Once you have this picture clear in your mind I want you to determine what small, simple steps you can take each day to accomplish those goals. Resolutions may have been difficult in the past but one simple trick I learned is called “The 2 Minute Rule.”
If your goal is to get in shape, you don’t have to start out by going to the gym for an hour 4 days a week. Begin by doing just the first 2 minutes of the new habit. Instead of struggling to motivate yourself to get to the gym, build the habit of getting yourself there.
All you would do is the first two minutes of that habit. In this case, it would mean putting your gym shoes on, walking out the door and locking it, then getting in your car. That’s it. That’s two minutes.
If at this point you’d like to do more, seeing as you’re already dressed to work out and in your car, then that option is available. But you can consider just the two minutes a resounding success. With the easy habit of being dressed for the gym and in your car, you’ll soon find that getting to the gym is much easier. Simple actions produce extraordinary results.
Tough times don’t last, but tough people do.
Robert Schuller
These last couple of years may have been difficult. We’re not back to living a normal life yet, but maybe we got something we needed. What lessons have you learned during this time that you could have only learned in this environment? It could be a newfound resiliency, a greater understanding of yourself, or that you now love the Great British Bake Off.
You’ve been trying your best and you can be proud of all that you’ve done to get to this point. Strive to become a better version of yourself but make sure to take the time to be grateful for what you’ve already been doing so well.
Admire the views. Just look how far you’ve come.
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