The best way to predict the future is to create it.
Peter Drucker
Now that the holidays are behind us we may find ourselves interested in doing something new to go with the beginning of a new year. But what? It’s a great time to reach out to make a new friend, or seek out an old one who you haven’t communicated with for so long that they could be considered a new friend. Of course, a common New Year’s plan is to lose weight, motivated by the effects of all the extra Christmas meals and goodies.
If you’d like to lose or perhaps gain weight the best way to accomplish a body-related goal is to make one small change at a time and maintain it for at least a month before adding another goal. This makes change less overwhelming and more likely to be effectively achieved. People who make massive changes usually aren’t successful in the long term because they are unable to maintain the too many challenging changes.
The beginning of a new year can also be a great time to start a new project, or get back to one you haven’t worked on for so long that it feels fresh and new. If you know your plate is too full to add anything else onto it, consider if your plan for something new is to actually stop doing something, creating some new schedule space for yourself.
If we do decide to do something new or improve the way we’re already doing something, one small step at a time is usually the best way to get going and keep going. Also, it’s best not to dive into something without making some kind of a plan of how to best go about the project.
One of the best things we can do for ourselves is to create a system or schedule that will help keep us on track. Routines can create clarity and focus because you don’t have to regularly waste mental energy trying to figure out what to do when. While we definitely need to be flexible with routines and plans, real life being what it is, dedicating specific blocks of time to your most important goals can greatly increase focus and productivity.
Especially for those of us who prefer freedom and flexibility over rigidity, implementing a system or schedule can feel confining and burdensome. However, if we can bring ourselves to dedicate even one regular hour a day or week to the things we really want to get done, we will find that pre-creating and honouring our plans actually gives us more freedom and flexibility, not to mention productivity.
It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.
Eleanor Roosevelt
