Dreams Start, Discipline Finishes

January 3rd check-in: euphoria of the new year has receded, resolve is starting to wane, and a bit of melancholy sets in because “nothing’s changed.”

Nothing has changed because the change you seek is within.

So don't abandon your aspirations at this juncture. You're trying to get to that next level this year by being the best version of yourself. 2023 is your year.

But New Year's resolutions run on adrenaline, which is only good for short bursts of enthusiasm; we don’t have an inexhaustible supply.

No, discipline is a more sustainable source of fuel for your dreams.

Don’t expend all your energy chasing goals. Instead, use that wave of adrenaline to establish habits that set the conditions for you to achieve everything you ever wanted in this life – and, importantly, to break the patterns holding you back.

Here’s a simple but effective formula you can follow to get started:

1. Be brutally honest and identify the self-defeating patterns that govern you. Consider their origin so you know what makes your demons tick.
2. Don’t expect yourself to change, so write down five tactics to mitigate those self-defeating patterns.
3. Write down your most valuable recurring patterns that give you an advantage (you never take no for an answer, you see around corners, etc.)
4. Put yourself in positions that leverage #3 – and follow #2 so you don’t subconsciously undermine your intentions.

What dreams start, discipline will finish.

Keep chopping wood!