Everyday Is A Resolution
You want your resolution to work? First, stop worrying about three months from now, and forget next week. Focus on now.
You will make more than 35,000 decisions today.
You don’t know you’re making them, of course — if you did, you’d go insane. But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re going to make more than 1,000 decisions in the next hour. Heads up! You’re making one — or a hundred — right now.
“Am I going to keep reading this?” you’re wondering. “Is this guy going somewhere with this?”
I assure you I am, and it’s important, so stick with me.
Let’s say you’re part of the group that decided to make a New Year’s resolution. Good for you. Now ponder on exactly how you came to that ONE decision. Then, understand the gravity of the situation; it’s not just ONE decision, but actually, the fusion of thousands of decisions compounded over God knows how long. Now imagine trying to steer your way to whatever your goal may be, ONE decision at a time, over an entire year. That’s more than ten-million tiny decisions.
Daunting is an understatement, more like apocalyptic.
That’s why many of us fail to hit the target we set at the beginning of the year. It’s not that our goals aren’t admirable, that we’re weak, or don’t have willpower. It’s that we don’t take into account the millions of tiny decisions we’re forced to make without even knowing it. Decisions that pop up when we’re tired, when we’re thirsty, sleepy, moody, horny, happy, hungry, hangry, and beyond.
Does that mean it’s wrong to try, that we’re only setting ourselves up for failure? No. If it did, there would be no way to explain the multitudes of successful humans accomplishing precisely what they set out to do and more.
But how? How does one woman make her dreams a reality while another guy falls off the wagon in a month? Simple — successful people treat every day like it’s a resolution.
They’re not just going through the motions; they’re excited. And when they’re challenged, they’re ready with one of the most critical tools human beings have; the routine.
Part of Facebook creator Mark Zuckerburg’s routine is wearing the same style shirt every day. One less decision.
Part of best selling author Stephen Pressfield’s is saying a prayer before he writes.
And part of legendary soccer player Pele’s was getting to the arena early and visualizing each game before playing it.
You want your resolution to work? First, stop worrying about three months from now, and forget next week. Focus on now.
Second, build as many routines into each day as you can. Maybe that means getting up and going to bed at the same time every day, eating the same three meals, working out at the same time, walking the dogs in the same direction, listening to the same motivating book on Audible, and making your bed every morning.
Third, and this is the tricky one, do them no matter what!
It won’t always be easy, and sometimes you’ll fail, but if there’s a host of helpful practices already in place to pick you up, there’s no telling how far and how fast you will climb to the top.
Maybe you reach your goals. And maybe you realize you’ve been underestimating yourself. And this goal, this critical decision that seemed like everything when you made it, was just the beginning.
