Forget Forcing Your Resolutions and Try This Instead

I've been thinking about my first post this month and what would normally be a "Happy New Year" kind of message from me this January. But I want to be more choiceful with my intentions.

I'm not buying into "Happy New Year" and resolutions any longer.

I know, but it's true!

If 2015 taught me anything, it showed me that daily choices are more powerful than we give them credit. Even I get a bit overwhelmed with setting lofty goals for the next 12 months each January. Resolutions can add so much pressure and reinforce black/white thinking which is exactly the fixed mindset my clients and I want to improve upon. 

I believe resolutions take away from the learning journey to evolve organically through both trial/error and small wins. We learn when we stumble and when we experiment. Rather than pass or fail on a fixed target like "lose 10 pounds..." or "make more income by...," I'd rather make forward and positive momentum in my life each day.

This year, it didn't feel right to take on resolutions. The shift stemmed from recently developing a 100-year plan with my husband for our health.

The 100-year plan asks what can I do now that would support me living to be healthy at age 100. True, it is a long-term goal, however I'm choosing to make progress each day. I'm choosing to make micro-choices that support the larger vision, and let go of judging my progress as I would with resolutions at this time in previous years.

I'm not sure where my 100 year plan will lead, but I'm open to the new ideas and perspective this approach will give me.

Resolutions can add so much pressure and reinforce black/white thinking which is exactly the fixed mindset my clients and I want to improve upon. 

I'm doing my best each day. If I can feel satisfied at the end of the day, that's good enough for me.

This January, I want to wish you a Happy New Day.

Make today a new start. Let go of a tradition that no longer works for you with unmet resolutions. Let go of the always and nevers you may say. Consider what you need now.

If you're not sure exactly how you can make today a new day, learn about the most popular strategy from my book Finding Passion called Daily Acts of Courage.

Discover a 5-minute Daily Acts of Courage exercise

I would love for you to join me in new learning in 2016! I'm designing three new ways to connect with you to evaluate and action your career choices. Look for these good things in the upcoming months: a free monthly mindspaces call-in, new DIY career toolkits for job hunting plus interviews with former clients who have gone through career change and explain how they did it.

...and I'm getting started on this work today.

What small choice today supports you for long-term success?

I'd love to hear from you! Send me your biggest career questions at [email protected] or message me if you would like a PDF copy of this blog post.

Need help evaluating the career choices you face?
Figure out what you really want in your career. “Finding Passion: A Self-Discovery Approach for Navigating Career Crossroads” helps you ask the tough questions you’ve been avoiding to weigh your best career options and make a decision with ease. Available on Amazon.

? 2016 Managing Mindspaces. All rights reserved.

Jessica Manca, CEC, ACC is a Certified Executive Coach at Managing Mindspaces, specializing in helping professionals evaluate and action their best career choices. Jessica is the author of "Finding Passion: A Self-Discovery Approach for Navigating Career Crossroads" (2013), asking readers the questions they don't know how to ask themselves in their career. Learn more at managingmindspaces.com or FOLLOW her here by clicking the blue FOLLOW button, on Twitter @mgingmindspaces, on Facebook, facebook.com/ManagingMindspaces.