The Daily Do

Hindsight is the window to what really floats your boat, so go through last year’s calendar to learn what lit you up the most. And see what depressed you, pulled the rug from underneath, then plan more of the positives and know what stuff to leave.

Once you have a plan in mind of what you want to do, share your plan with someone to be accountable to. If we alone control the goalposts of our desires and dreams, we all too easily move them when effort comes in between. Ultimately our lives are on us, no one's coming to save the day, but a friend can lend the massive hand of accountability. With someone else to tend and tell our honest efforts to, we tip the scales from procrastination to the impactful power of DO.

Setting goals only helps if goals are possible, far reaching yes but reachable, lots to learn but teachable, hills to move but move they will if you push what you control, don’t wait for the mountain to come to you, make the journey there your goal. Ask before you etch your goals in stone what is better fuel for you, long term wishful thinking or an action plan of DO?

Self-esteem is built from estimable actions, it’s not dished out at birth, from doing things you feel are worthwhile you define your worth. In the same way self esteem is learnt so too is repeated lack of it, this breeds the belief that it’s who you are, but it’s not, and you must dismantle it. Retrain esteem by small victories of doing worthwhile tasks seen through, from deciding to completing, these small wins will rebuild you.

We rarely feel like doing what we set out to begin, as New Year's Day comes quickly and reality sets in. Drop your shoulders, take a breath, don’t sweat how you feel now, but choose to do what you set out to do, yes, do it anyhow! New Years Day is a great example of when exactly to push through, from feelings of "I cannot and will not" to a clear and simple "DO!"

The inward glare that a yearly review requires can result in being tough on yourself. Yes it’s good to look back and learn, but focus on what you did well. The upward spiral is not spun by dragging yourself down, pinpoint what you excelled at and bring that into now. You, reaching your potential, is nature’s way of chanting, "Yes!".  Life racing in your veins, purpose on your breath.

At the New Year starting gate you’re all pumped up and set to change it all, and so it’s hard to swallow that the greatest change is small. Change the little habits that dictate your daily path, these impactful adaptations are the real changes that last. Relax, put in place the gentle shift that delivers over time, the once a day that becomes 'one day all this will be mine'. Anything you want can be the result of daily action, steady repeated little shifts that invite deep satisfaction.

Start your personal revolution, it’s more rewarding than resolve. Resolutions feel so punishing, revolution is for you, realising deep in your heart that you are what you do. Stopping doing things that harm you IS NOT HARD TO DO, when you truly, deeply, madly see that it is all for you. For you to rise and prosper, to sit still and feel relief, that you are loving you in action, this is self belief.

Take the baton firmly in your hand, accept that fears must be faced, see that you are the sum of your choices, and in choices your future is made. From a place of emotional balance there are obvious choices to make, the key to progress is then to enact them not letting feelings get in the way. Choose where you want to get to, from a place where emotions run slow, then execute actions to get there, even when feelings say no.

Once you have accepted your faults no one can use them against you, and so an honest and thorough personal inventory is the most liberating thing you can do. More than that, accept your faults and YOU can’t use them against you, an honest and thorough knowledge of self is the most liberating thing you can do. Take a good look at how you can improve, the parts that need some love and care, write down an inventory of deep personal truth and begin to heal and repair.