Every year we literally celebrate a new year on January 1. We have the ceremonial countdown to midnight. We toast. We pray. We kiss our loved ones. We drink the champagne! And then 12:01 rolls around and we go right back to doing the same thing. We look the same. We have on the same clothes. We are with the same people. The only thing new is the date. We really should be saying, “Happy Next Year!” It is not really a new year unless we do something to make it new. Otherwise, we are going to roll up to the same job, with the same attitude, with the same list of dreams and the same list of disappointments.
So are you going to celebrate your next year in 2018 or are you going to truly have a new year?
In order to truthfully celebrate a new year, you must commit to a new mindset, new habits and new people!
New Mindset
Creating a new life all begins in your thoughts. Your thoughts produce your actions. Your actions create outcomes. Your outcomes determine your life. You cannot create a new life with an old mindset. You must have a new vision for your life. Vision creates consequences. If you have limited vision, you will have limited outcomes. If you create a vision for your future, it will show up in your present actions. Your beliefs and values guide your actions. Every belief creates an action. Every action creates a future. Be deliberate in the future you create. Who are you? What are you doing? Where are you going? How are you feeling? You should be able to close your eyes and see your future self. What you see is who you will be. Create your new life in your mind first. Write down your vision. Live it in your actions.
New Habits
It does you no good to write down your vision if you do not create actions that are aligned with them. You must be specific about what you want to accomplish. If you have a very vague vision, you going to have very vague results or none at all. “I want to be successful in 2018” is vague. What does successful mean? Is that having a certain amount of money in the bank? Is that getting a certain job or promotion? Is it completing school? You must be very specific about what it is that you want to accomplish. This also includes giving yourself a deadline. I will create $XX,XXX in revenue by December 31, 2018! I will attain a promotion to A. Next you must have a clear plan of how you are going to bring your vision into reality. Because if all you do is say “I want to accomplish X by this date,” but then you don’t come up with a plan that outlines specific actions that you have to do to accomplish X, then you still have a very vague aspiration. I will create $XX,XXX in revenue by December 31, 2018 by selling XXX products each quarter. I will become eligible for the promotion to A by completing Y degree by June 30, 2018.
Many times you focus on what you need to do and the actions that you need to take. It is equally important to identify what you need to stop doing. Be honest and realistic about the behaviors and actions that are going to keep you away from your goals. I will stop impulsive shopping and save $X,XXX per month.
The third component to creating new opportunity is really very simple, yet we make it complex. You must do what you said you were going to do! Every big goal should have 2-3 small progressive tasks that keep you moving. Each progressive task should be expressed as an action with a deadline. And don’t skip the deadline! Hold yourself accountable to yourself. If you can’t be your own accountability partner, align yourself with someone who will help you stay on task.
New People
Your life is influenced by the activities; environments and people you choose to expose yourself to. As an adult, we underestimate the power of controlling what influences we allow in our lives. You can control your environment. You can decide where you go and with whom you associate. You decide who is a part of your life and who is not. But wait! What about my family and co-workers? You may not be able to choose your family or co-workers, but you can control how your environment controls you. You definitely cannot control other people, but you can control your exposure to them. You cannot always control circumstances and situations, but you can always control what you do when circumstances arise.
Your new year needs to be filled with New Year People. First, are Rejuvenators. These people breathe life into you. They refresh you when you are exhausted. They see in you what you cannot see in yourself. They encourage you when you want to quit. Next, are Iron Sharpeners. These are the coaches, counselors, and mentors that refine you and sharpen your gifts and talents. You cannot create new opportunity alone. Align yourself with experts who can pour knowledge into you. The next group that you need in your life are Sunshines. Sunshine people emit warmth and energy that make you feel good about yourself. Just being in their presence makes you feel better and inspires you!
The last three groups need to stay in the old year! The first Old Year Person is a Sunburn. Sunburn people are those that don’t mean you any harm and are not intentionally harming you, but their life, behavior and actions are harmful. They are like a blackhole full of negative energy masked by a seemingly glamorous life that is really thinly veiled self-destruction. Next, are Machetes. These people try to cut you down to the size of their vision. They have a limited vision of their own lives and cannot see beyond their present circumstances. The last group are the Invalidators. They purposely bring you down to make themselves feel better. They are usually hurting people who take their hurt out on others. These people need to be moved out of your life completely. If you have Invalidators in your family or workplace, you may not be able to remove them completely, but you can learn how to become Teflon to their negatively.
So whether you have a next year or new year is your choice! Your life is the product of your choices. Choose to make it the best life you can create. Choose to believe in the future you wish to create. Choose to take actions every day that create the new life you desire. Choose to be selective of the people that influence your life. Choose to take action to make this year a truly new year!
Stephanie D. Barnes is an attorney, author, speaker and career strategist. She can be reached at stephanie@drstephaniedbarnes.com or visit www.drstephaniedbarnes.com.