January 1st is essentially an arbitrary day that we have chosen to reflect on our past year in order to take a stab at being a better person for the upcoming year. We tend to be resolute on our plans for betterment for a few weeks and then the difficulty of dealing with our bad habits set in and our grand plans taper off. Before we know it, weeks or months go by and we remember our grand plans for the new year but see it through a blurred lens. Then, eventually, we accept that we tried really hard, but didn’t accomplish the goal and fall back into old patterns.

We know what we want our life to look like and, without giving it much thought, we know what it takes to have that life. The answer is simple: habits (more specifically, habits that are aligned with your picturesque self). But, then comes the work and the frustration and the second guessing. It’s the same old story you’ve told yourself over and over for decades, “John, wouldn’t it be much easier to take some short cuts? It’s ok if you have a little junk food. It’s ok to watch more movies or shows.” Once you slip on your resolution, that voice says, “You can’t even keep simple promises you made to yourself. You aren’t worthy.” and on and on.

Are you willing to sacrifice who you are for who you could be?

Ed Mylett – The Power of One More, p8

I can honestly say that I have a better plan to tackle my “resolution” this year. Simple daily habits in the form of non-negotiables. It’s a simple philosophy. Everyday I do these simple things:

1. Walk – 20 to 30 minutes. No pressure.
2. Read – at least 15 minutes
3. Meditate – must have
4. Journal – I’m working on integrating this more consistently
5. Reflection – this is a newer one. 5 minutes before falling asleep, I reflect on my day. Bonus (working on this one), the first 5 minutes of waking, I stir the emotion of gratitude for another day on earth.
6. Write a blog entry – recently added this one

Some of these I already do consistently and some are brand new. My plan is to not beat myself up if I don’t all of these things everyday and miss something every now and then. Although, I’m shooting to improve daily.

After I get this plan more in motion, I’m going to tackle my lifelong nemesis: healthy eating….

Welcome to 2024! Let’s rock this year!