Well, it’s that time of the year again as we’re already walking through the second month of our new year… Did you take another stab at the whole New Year’s Resolution thing again? If so, how are you doing now that we’re one month in?
Most research says that only 40% of us have planned New Year’s resolutions and of that 40%, 8% might actually follow-through and realize real change or transformation.
The interesting thing for me is that I do this EVERY year in my career… I use the new year to cast vision for my teams and help to flow down priorities that move us in the direction of that vision. Yet, I haven’t necessarily done a great job at doing that very same thing for my personal life. Last year, I at least committed to a ‘word of the year’ (PRESENT) which served as a good reminder to help me be more content with where I am and present in the moment; especially with family in a season with young kids growing so quickly! Now, there was good intent in this, but not much in terms of action, results or real life transformation…
That realization let me to 2 questions that I want to talk about today:
- Is priority setting important in the New Year? BTW I’m calling them priorities b/c I heard the phrase “New Year’s Resolution” might be Latin for “I’m probably NOT gonna do that” (I still need to google that for validation)
- How should I approach setting priorities for the year?
Is priority setting important in the New Year?
First of all, let me just say… I don’t think there’s anything special about January 1st other than it’s the start of a new year… However, my mantra has always been “every day is a new day” (another chance to start over – again). In fact, I’ll take any excuse to do a reset… and, the start of a NEW year is just that… one more excuse to:
Check-in with ourselves! And, to do that effectively we should probably do a couple of things:
- Pause, and assess where we are today
I think it was Stephen Covey who said, “If your ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step you take will get you to the wrong place faster.”
- Have a vision!
This is where we get to use our imagination to envision where we want to go! Or more importantly, WHO we want to be!
Proverbs 21:5 says “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” Or, as I heard one pastor say, “You will never be the man god intended you to be unless you intend to be that man.”
How should I approach setting priorities for the year?
Now, even with all of that, I still felt like there was something missing… Why aren’t more people setting new priorities each year AND, why do most people FAIL at following through when they do?
For me, I think there are 2 considerations:
- BIG GOALS are easy to dream up, but the HOW we get there is where it gets a bit tricky
- It’s real easy to give up when we don’t feel or see real (tangible) progress fast enough
Now, don’t get me wrong – good goals are powerful, but what if we were to approach this a little differently?
- What if we focus less on what we DO and more on WHO we become – isn’t that what transformation (to look/live more like Jesus) is all about anyway? True change happens from the inside, out – this is where we really need to connect our heart with our head!
- Secondly, what if we focus less on BIG GOALS and more on small, daily habits (routines, patterns)?
The Author, John Maxwell, says “I can predict the long-term outcome of your success if you show me your daily habits.”
The gist of this is that small habits or disciplines done consistently lead to big results over time.
Now, I’m not saying I have this figured out, but I’ll share 5 practical TIPS that I’m using to lay out my own priorities and habits in 2022!
1. Consider the process a spiritual exercise
When it comes to the journey of moving in the direction of becoming the person you want to be and filling yourself at a deep soul level, we tend to find more harmony and peace at our very beings – it’s spiritual in and of itself. And, for me – as a person looking to mirror his life after Jesus as a model, I always want to make sure that my plans are inline with God’s purpose for my life verses my own self-serving motivations. The reality is, you’ll never know what’s God-inspired vs. self-oriented until you include Him in the process.
Find a rhythm that works for you as there’s no single formula. Cancel out the noise of the world around you and be still, reflect and pray. I just RE-started a new habit where I find pockets of time throughout my day to get some true solitude, silence, study and prayer as I seek direction in all things – some days it’s 2 minutes at time, other days it’s an hour, so don’t go for perfection. What I’ve come to realize over time is that conversation and relationship with the creator of the cosmos doesn’t need to be boxed into a single daily session… Praying and seeking opportunities to intersect ourselves with the divine can be more effectively when done continuously throughout the day.
2. Keep it SIMPLE!
Don’t over think it! If you don’t know where to start… just focus on tangible areas of your life you’d like to improve or redirect and consider some daily habits that will help you to get there.
Start with some common categories to get things flowing: Health & Fitness, personal and spiritual growth, family, relationships / friendships, finances, work or service, etc.
3. Avoid perfectionism
Here’s what I have to tell myself… THERE IS NO PERFECT LIST – IT DOESN’T EXIST! Once I get that out of the way I can begin to make some progress.
I call my early phase in the process the spaghetti phase… I throw a bunch of stuff (things I’d like to do differently) at the wall and see what sticks…. As you take time to think through and process your list, you’ll start to realize you can’t do it all and that’s when the lower priorities can begin to drop to the floor (P.S. sometimes I even pick a few up and save for later…).
Another way to get you unstuck is not do this alone. I’ve talked with trusted friends, my wife and even shared with my kids throughout the process. My wife is the best at trimming down my list and keeping me from setting unrealistic expectations on myself or others. She also knows which of my own habits affect her life directly… she doesn’t miss a thing!
4. Be Kind to Yourself
If you stop short of achieving a goal, don’t just give up! Determine what worked, what didn’t and adjust or pivot your goal altogether if need be.
GE’s founder is famous for his quote and attitude about the path towards success (e.g. inventing/refining the light bulb). Thomas Edison said, ‘I have not failed. I have just found 9,999 ways that do not work’. —Edison
He firmly believed that the only path to success was THROUGH failure – Did you notice that word I used? THROUGH FAILURE, not stopping at a failure…
In fact, based on 10,000 attempts to perfect the lightbulb, if you ONLY complete 50% of your goals this year, you’re leagues ahead of Edison! CELEBRATE!
One author, Jon Acuff, says to “strive to be better today than you were yesterday and then simply try to repeat that tomorrow.” –Jon Acuff
5. Start small
Really small habits towards a goal can deliver some amazing results!
Ex. I want to be able to run 5 miles non-stop. Great! Start small! Run (at least) 1 mile per day for 30 days.
30 days is just about enough time to form a new habit AND it’s a good time to re-evaluate whether this is something that is good for you to continue…
Finally, here’s a bonus tip and probably the most important… Have fun with it! CELEBRATE EVERY LITTLE WIN! Ultimately, this is an opportunity to reset and get excited about a new year, a new day, and ultimately – a new YOU!
The world might not feel like it’s changing, but the reality is that it starts with each one of us walking into the invitation to become the person we were created and called us to be!
I’ll leave you with one last piece of wisdom by the apostle Paul that inspired me this year and I hope it inspires you to reach your ultimate goal and eternal prize that’s waiting for you!
Paul, in 1 Corinthians 9:25, says this “All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”
MARK SCALIA 