It’s the New Year; a time for a fresh start, a clean slate, a new resolution.
Resolutions are most often about creating change in our lives. We vow to stop smoking, save more money, lose weight, exercise, or to be a better friend. The list of well-intentioned options is infinite. And while these resolutions are (for the most part) good for us, they tend to come with a built-in flaw that hinders us from successfully achieving them.
Resolutions often have an underlying expectation for immediate change, and when that change doesn’t happen pronto, we deem ourselves a failure.
Why do we mess up such a great opportunity with that kind of stinkin’ thinkin’? It’s so much healthier for us when we allow the personal changes we desire to naturally evolve through our day-to-day efforts—gently reshaping our behaviors, our thoughts, our actions, our lives. The most lasting changes are never instantaneous; they are practiced over and over again until they’re so deeply engrained in us they become a habit.
The energy and excitement of a New Year’s resolution feels amazing, and can be the catalyst for much needed change in our lives, so long as we give ourselves the time and permission for these goals to evolve. When we do, we become unstoppable. We commit to the change, and renew our commitment each and every day in our thoughts and actions. We find ourselves speaking the change we seek—“You ARE smart enough to get through this class…You CAN lose this weight…You DESERVE that promotion.”
We begin to live the change. This is true resolution—and evolution.
So this year, if you’ve made a New Year’s resolution, prepare for the long haul. Don’t expect to triple your bank account in the next two weeks, or to lose 50 pounds by the end of January. Allow yourself the trials and the joy of the journey. Know that you will face challenges, pressure, and uncertainties, but these things only serve to solidify our desired changes, working them deep into the foundations of our lives. We’re a lot like diamonds in that way. Diamonds are nothing more than carbons that are slowly changed by the day-to-day pressure and heat they endure, until ultimately they become something of great value. Beautiful. Shining. Flawless.
May 2015 be your year to shine!