Resolve to make real changes
I love the energy of a new year for the promises of fresh beginnings the dawn brings. Filled with an air of optimism and potential, the change of date stirs many to craft resolutions. Though, admittedly, I’m not one of them. I ditched new year’s resolutions long ago in favour of something more meaningful: vision planning. Why? Because most resolutions fail.
In fact, around 80 per cent of people’s new year dreams wither as soon as they’re conceived. They remain confined to thoughts, looping around in an abyss of brain matter. Though some high hopes are inked onto journal pages and cut-out pieces of craft paper. Diet, exercise, health and money-related matters are usually the favourites. And a few goals manage to get a start to life. But then, February rolls around, and it’s where most resolutions die.
It’s not so much because people are lazy or lack gumption, though that can certainly be an issue. But often resolutions don’t have sticking power because they are framed negatively (think weight loss, for example). Another issue is that by February work is back in full swing, the kids have returned to school and old habits can easily creep back in. But there’s something more beneficial than resolutions. It’s a powerful three-step process I use to supercharge dreams into a vision, and then turn them into reality.
First, establish a key theme for the year. Make it personal, meaningful, emotive. Keep it short. Your theme might be limited to one word or a few crafted into a snappy slogan or headline. For example, one year I borrowed Nike’s famous tagline “just do it”. It must be motivational, and you have to feel it — the energy and emotion of your vision and transformation.
Then, set a list of related intentions — but not too many. Make them realistic, achievable, concise and heartfelt. You can think of these intentions as states of mind and behaviours. They give you a framework for how you want to show up in the world, the goals you want to reach and the actions to take
And last, back your dream up with a fail-proof plan. Create meal, workout, savings and holiday plans. Schedule and automate tasks, such as banking or ordering groceries online. Write appointments in your diary in advance. It will reduce your mental load, limit temptation and improve your chances of success.
Avoid environments that trigger old or unhealthy thoughts and behaviours. Get an accountability partner or coach, or join a support network to help you stay on track and establish new habits. Know your blind spots, predict potential risks including your emotional pain responses or excuses in advance. Eliminate them early or know how to deal with them if they arise.
Make backup plans to keep working towards your dream if your circumstances change over the coming year, especially due to the pandemic. It’s OK if you fall down for a period of time, believe in yourself, get back up and try again. Forget about tediously tracking your progress, but take note of your little wins and achievements along the way. Small, consistent steps lead to big changes over time.
Once you have a clear vision for the year ahead, you can help cement it with a technique called mental contrasting. Simply imagine the positive future you desire, then compare and contrast it with your present reality or where you’ll be in 12 months if you do nothing. Keep recalling both, and move in the direction that feels good.
Do all this, plan your vision, and I guarantee you’ll see greater results than sticking with old-school resolutions.
This article was first published in The West Australian in Renée Gardiner’s weekly column in Agenda, 1 January 2022.