Now that we’re officially into the New Year and the celebrating has died down, I thought that it would be a great time to share a few words about New Year’s resolutions- that silly little thing we do each year when we promise ourselves awesome change and then forget about it a few weeks later.
For example, I’ve committed to losing weight for a solid 4-5 years straight now, plus I keep meaning to write a book on copywriting, hire additional employees, and seriously ramp up my marketing efforts locally. And while all of that sounds awesome, I never do any of those things. There’s just not enough time left in a day to make them all feasible.
However, last year I made just one resolution- to spend more quality time with my kids and to learn to forgive them for being true terrors.
Because let’s face it, running a boutique marketing firm out of my home is tough enough…doing it with teenage girls in the house is pure madness. And I’d find myself yelling at them constantly- turn down the music. Stop kicking that. Don’t hit your sister. Leave the dog alone. They were like professional noise-makers.
And you know what? I did pretty darn well with that one resolution. It took an enormous effort at times; especially when Alyssa wrecked two cars within the first few months of having a driver’s license. But I somehow prevailed, and I’ve yet to completely lose my cool for a good number of months now.
This year, I’m making almost the exact opposite resolution though- I’m going to focus more on me. That means more time in the gym losing pounds and getting healthy. That means eating better and taking a little bit of time off every now and then. And it also means to focus on the stuff I’ve been meaning to get to for quite a long time now.
The social media site, for example, has been on hold for several months now. I don’t have the money to finish it myself and I don’t have enough time to raise the money. That’s a fact, a constant that can’t be avoided, and the only way to change that is to start bringing in some passive income. So every chance I get will be devoted to finishing out the writing book and just generally working smarter, not harder.
That takes setting goals and really sticking to them…which is exactly what a New Year’s resolution is supposed to be in the first place.
So for my first post of the New Year, I’m going to offer you a great piece of advice- really focus on yourself. What matters to you long term? What will make you truly happy? Use this holiday weekend to figure out those answers and then go all-in on your own success. Because at the end of the day, there’s only one New Year’s resolution that really matters at all- your health and happiness.
Happy New Year, my friends!