A Word That Defeats You
The calendar tells us it’s a new year - a few weeks in, actually. And regardless of how we labelled them – “resolutions” has fallen out of favor and “goals” is such a formal and workplace related term many dislike -- we all entered this new year with hopes, dreams, and visions for changes we want to make. Even if we quietly harbored them to ourselves.
That being said, How many things have you said (or thought) you will “start” doing in the new year?
What are they?
Now that you have those answers, here’s a suggestion for shifting your perspective:
Stop saying that. Stop saying you’ll “start” in this new year, or in February, or in the spring.
Whoa. What? Why?
Isn’t having goals, visions, and desires to improve yourself a good thing; even if you've postponed them?
Yes, it is.
The thing I’m suggesting you stop doing is using the word, “start.”
Because you’re not starting. You’re continuing.
Even if you tried in the past, failed to follow your plans and see your desire through to completion, there were still successes in the attempt. You learned something; you found things that worked – and things that didn’t; you have new knowledge; you’ve grown and matured. You’ve become more authentic and developed the core of who you are as a person. You are not in the same place you were last year – or the year(s) before that.
When you use the word “start,” you experience a sense of failure and stress. This can be accompanied by a feeling disappointment and frustration because you’re thinking, “Why should I even try; I’ll never be able to.” “Start” aligns with the ever-failing new-years-resolutions that drift away as everyday life floats back in. This happens even though, in the depths of your being, you know you want to make the changes.
But when you use the word, “continue,” you relax and recognize your progress. To continue is a much stronger foundation on which to enter this new year - or the second month of this new year.
Don’t stop working on your goals and dreams.
Continue what you’ve already begun.