The Visual8

We tell ourselves that indulgences of the holiday season are cleansed in the New Year.

That’s because we have made resolutions to be financially, mentally, socially, and physically more fit. Starting in January.

And while new year’s resolutions persisted generation after generation, few admit that they are satisfied with the outcome.

Many thoughtful articles outline why resolutions fail. And generally what to do about them. Some offer sentimental longing for keeping them.

Generally, the advice is to keep them small, measurable and realistic. These SMART principles are favored in corporate performance plans.

While logical advice, it does not address the fundamental issues.

First of all, new year’s resolutions start with a deficit.

It describes what we ought to do versus what we want to do.

Let’s be honest. We are more likely to “want to” “want to” be in better health than actually want to.

Even when the goal has a clear payoff, we have not started. This suggests something is holding us back.

Secondly, new year’s resolutions pushes the goal to the end of the year.

We can try to chunk-it-out. Break a large goal into smaller partitions.

For example, saving $1,200 next year translates to saving $100 a month.

But what happens with that unexpected car expense? Are we obligated to make up the difference by saving more the next month? Are we to lower our standards to account for the unknown?

Lastly, these resolutions exist without context.

They share common desires: do better; be better.

However, how do these things you want to achieve support the person you are trying to become?

Let’s remember that the qualities that made Teddy Roosevelt an iconic U.S. president, would not guarantee the Nobel Prize for Marie Curie.

This world is populated with diverse strengths.

Why try to diminish one strength in favor of another? Or as Daniel Whittington suggests in his post, You can’t fix people, nor should you try to.

Let’s flip the script on these new year promissory notes.

1. Avoid deficit thinking.

Envision, instead, an energy budget. A budget of attention, or where you place your focus.

If your goal is to start doing something, what are you willing to trade for it? If your goal is to stop a behavior, what will you replace it with?

Treat your time as a fixed daily account. Then prioritize accordingly.

You will find that giving up that indulgence goes unnoticed while you are busy on something else.

2. Begin again everyday.

Instead of setting a target 12 months from now, or 12 days from now, try 12 hours from now.

There is a lot of momentum for these atomic moments. Peter Attia talks about them. James Clear authored a book about them.

Take five minutes at the beginning of the day to account for the 3 big things you want to accomplish. Make sure that at least one of them characterizes the personality trait you’d like to see in yourself.

It might be engaging strangers with more kindness. Giving co-workers the benefit of a doubt. Deferring judgment on a new corporate rule that makes no sense. Showing courage to try something new.

3. Write your final chapter first.

In other words, describe how the future you would act on this day.

Define the virtues, attitudes, and confidences of that new you. Then act as that person throughout the day.

Some call this a “fake it, until you make it”.

It is best to write that down at beginning of each day. The act of putting words on a page is the first step to the commitment. It is a contract to yourself.

Then practice it thought out the day. It is handy to have that post-it note somewhere you see it.

You may also find starting the day with gratitude supercharges this process.

It shows that the distance between where you are and where you want to go is closer than you think. It is shorter than it was a year ago. It is much shorter than a decade ago.

To whit, see tomorrow as the next page in the book.

Authors know to progress the story. Beat-by-beat, scene-by-scene, and act-by-act. Be that author. Be patient. Let your story unfold.

You are able and worthy of accomplishing so many things.

Treat each day as New Years Day: a promise to reach your fullest potential.