“What are you going to do different this year”?

“What are you going to do different this year”? asked Rev. John, my spiritual counselor, in my usual meeting with him whenever I visit Jamaica.  Frankly, I could not answer.  Yes, me, the focused, action-oriented optimist was stumped.  I looked at him blankly, mouth open and finally muttered “I don’t know”.

 

I have been mulling on this question for a week now.  I believe the answer is key to FINALLY achieving what I set out to achieve each year.  For I have always wondered why I have the same things on my New Year Intentions list every single year.  Yes, I accomplish much each year, but so much more of what I intend goes unachieved.  Rev. John’s question reminded me that I have to actually DO something different to what I have been doing.

 

So for each of my intentions, I am focusing on what I am going to do differently.  I am finding small changes in my habitual behaviour.  Making them small, means making them doable.  For example:

• For my, and seemingly everyone’s Numero Uno intention – LOSE WEIGHT – I am doing this differently: not eating after 8.00 p.m.  That’s it.
• For my intention of increasing my wealth, I am doing this differently: every Sunday night, I record the balance of EVERY SINGLE BANK ACCOUNT on an Excel spreadsheet.  That’s it.

 

Get the idea?  Go through each of your intentions and ask yourself “What am I going to do differently this year”?  “What small action can I take that will change my behaviour and therefore my results”?  And start doing it!

 

 

“You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water” – Rabindranath Tagore