A few years ago I was determined to take up smoking, but I just didn’t have the willpower to keep it up.
I learnt that new years resolutions don’t really work for me.
Whilst the intention is good, there’s just something about making a generic statement that you are going to change your life in some way overnight that seems destined for disaster.
Specific goals (with a clear list of prioritised tasks, in the order you want to achieve them) are a different matter entirely, but there is a separate post about that.
Anyway I read a great post last year about a different way to think about the start of a new year and I tried it and it worked, so I’m going to pass it on.
Sometimes we just want to ‘be’ a certain way. Sure we may have specific goals that we are aiming for but what about our day to day existence? What about how we carry ourselves from moment to moment, task to task, meeting to meeting?
This simple idea focuses on this softer side of our lives:
Come up with 3 words that you want to live by.
Yep – that’s it.
Come up with 3 words that you can apply to how you want to ‘be’.
3 words that resonate with you about how you want to live your life.
3 words that will remind you of what you stand for.
They can be anything that you want them to be. This is your list.
I like to take a few days to ponder over this and usually end up with a list (written down of course) of around 6 which I then think some more about and whittle down to 3.
Whilst I feel a little vulnerable exposing them, here are mine for this year, and some of the things I’ll try applying them to:
Clarity – of communication, reasoning, intentions, decision making
Caring – towards my family, pets, colleagues, you – the readers of dysfunctional requirements, the environment, myself
Flexibility – of body and of facing changes / obstacles with little resistance
Oh sod it, whilst we’re at it…last years list was:
Curiosity, Practise and Balance
The year before that I didn’t do this but if I had it would probably have been: Tits, bums and doughnuts.
I digress, but you get the idea – the principle is to consistently aim to live and breathe these 3 words, in everything you do during this year, regardless of what you’re doing, who you’re with, or where you are.
Obvious question time…What 3 words do you want to live by?