With a change of week, month, season or year, we often have the hope that next week, month, season or year will be better than the last.
We can think about the aspects in which we want it to be better: make more money, have a job if we have lost ours; or find a better one if we are not happy, take better care of our health, or improve our fitness level, be successful in a project that has been set for us or by us.
I went to the gym regularly before the pandemic, and I always saw “avalanches” of people signing up for the gym in January. In the end, we all get used to these “good intentions” that have an expiration date.
What would you think if:
- any time was a good time to have a resolution? and
- when you have a resolution, it became a permanent change in your life?
Not all changes in our lives need to be “big,” I suggest we consider the long-term benefit we get from them, more than their “size”.
I also think it’s important that we look at what exactly our resolution means.
For example, how about if we set out to be relaxed, focused, connected, happy, healthy and successful in what interests us most?
Sometimes we can find a way to achieve results on many levels with an action that impacts multiple aspects of our lives. We must also look for a “practical” ways of doing things. I always think of the example of brushing my teeth; how important it is not to brush our teeth one day for 3 hours but rather 2 minutes twice a day.
The same goes for breaks. If you want to concentrate. If you want to perform. You have to have breaks. And taking a long break, one day a week, does not “yield” the required results. However, taking breaks of 10 or 15 minutes a few times a day can have a bigger impact on the ability to perform, concentrate and work to your best throughout the day.
As with software development methodologies, when working in small increments, actions are more sustainable, results are seen immediately and are cumulative in their effect.
This is a less drastic way of managing change. A way that creates less resistance to change, and is more motivating, because it needs less effort, and you start benefiting from it sooner.
“Put your money where your mouth is”
- Are you saying that you care about your health?
Take care of your hygiene, appearance, nutrition, and fitness.
Use stairs instead of a lift. Choose to walk instead of using transportation. Look at what you eat (have you heard of “empty calories”? Is it food without nutrients). Take breaks, and get enough sleep.
- Finance
Learn to budget. Make a savings plan. Don’t bite off more than you can chew, and find the balance between improving your financial conditions and taking care of your health and your environment 😉
- Relationships
We are social animals. We need to feel connected and accompanied, even in the distance. We need each other.
What relationships do you prioritise? What do you pay attention to and how exactly do you pay attention?
Are your words echoed by your actions? Do you say one thing and then do something else? Make the time and do things with those who are important to you. They won’t always be there/
- Happiness
How is happiness measured? How about if you focus on appreciating what you have?, and valuing your efforts?
Find the positive in the little everyday things, and brush those moments of doubt and fragments of sadness into something constructive
- Satisfaction
Be aware of those activities that drain you. Identify them, and limit them. Look for ways to use your skills, grow them, and put them at the service of others. Focus on activities where you add value.
These are the 5 thermometers that my coaching teacher proposed. What are yours?
How do you use them? (When do you use them?)
Let us know!
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