Five Habits for the New Year
“Always start slow and small.”
Pick small goals that are stepping stones to your larger goals. Celebrate each small step. Pace yourself. The adage “It’s not a race, it’s a marathon,” is the key to all success.
“Build a routine.”
Someone recently asked me, “How do you have the discipline to write every day?” You don’t start with discipline, you start by finding enjoyment in what you are doing. Once that enjoyment reaches critical mass, you want that feeling every day. Discipline is just the urge to seek that enjoyment.
“Track your results.”
Using a journal to record progress (and setbacks) is a strong incentive and support. It does not have to be fancy. It provides you the opportunity to look back and correct, as well as look ahead and plan.
“Cut yourself some slack.”
Be gracious to yourself, there are going to be good days and bad days. In the greater scheme of things bad days are nothing more than opportunities to examine what isn’t working and avoid those things going forward. We are not perfect. I know that about myself, but that doesn’t stop me from trying to get better. I’m not worried about reaching perfection.
“Keep going.”
If you don’t feel like pursuing your goal today, that’s okay, but take a step anyway. The result might be shit but that doesn’t matter, what matters is that you took the step. Even if the result is less than satisfactory, you will still feel rewarded by the attempt. There is reward in the doing. The product will take care of itself.
Inspiration for this entry came from an online article I found on the Lochby website.
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