In the spirit of the New Year, while everyone is making some serious(ly misguided) plans, I figured I’d offer up a piece of advice that I wish I’d had in the last couple of years.
Planning is not enough. You need to act.
I, like many other people, love to make lists, organize things and generally pretend like I’m getting things done, when realistically I am just telling myself over and over again that I’m almost ready. For reference, this is kind of the equivalent of making a delicious sandwich and then leaving it on the counter until it gets crusty and inedible.
Since this is something I’m working on this year– but not as a resolution, because resolutions are lame and they never work out ;)– I figured I’d send it out as a series of prompts to you fine folks. I’ve been considering these questions daily, so maybe they’ll help you too.
Non-Resolutions:
What are you INSPIRED to be working on and WHEN will you have it finished? Is this a concrete plan or is it wishy-washy and unstructured? What can you do to create a framework for your goals?
Are you focusing on should’s instead of want-to’s or deeply personal need-to’s?
Who are the people you keep saying you’re going to call? WHEN will you call them? Put it on the calendar and follow through! Instagram messages don’t count!
What are the things that you can do to better your health, not six months to a year from now, but today, tomorrow, or this week? What is the one thing you can do right now that will put your best foot forward? Don’t make a list– you know what that one thing is. Be honest with yourself one little step will lead into the next.
Finally, most importantly, where did you think you would be this time last year? Are you there? Beyond? Not even close?
These are the questions that have been kicking around in my head for the last couple of months, so this seems like an ideal time to share it with you. Remember, the kindest thing you can do for yourself is to gauge your progress based on YOU, not by comparing yourself to Instagram personalities or other people sharing their often false picture of success on social media.
So I encourage you to follow my lead: get honest with yourself. Instead of doing the things that you think others would want you to do, take a moment and journal about what you know you want to be doing. Rather than just writing it and putting it on the shelf, act on it. Let’s see some results.
It’s time to work on the best version of you.
For more content, follow me on Instagram @the_real_everymanyoga.
Namaste