New Year’s Resolutions are crap!
What?
Did I say, “New Year’s Resolutions are crap?!”
Yes, I did.
I will also say that they will not give you happiness, they will not make you stay committed to them, and they will not keep you warm at night.
Wow, if I’m going to spout such atrocities, I better have a reason to support my #irrationalthoughts, and more importantly, an alternative for them.
After all, I go around talking about the importance of #goalsetting all the time, so why on earth would I believe that New Year’s Resolutions are crap?
Well, let me ask you…
Have you EVER stayed committed to your #NewYearsResolutions? I don’t mean, “Have you pretty much kept to them?” I mean have you 100% held yourself accountable and committed to your New Year’s Resolutions EVER? If you are like most people, the answer is usually a big fat ‘NO!’ And I’m going to give you the two biggest reasons why they don’t work and six great ways to really #Rock2020.
Reason #1: NYRs aren’t based in any kind of “why” or “how.” Most New Year’s Resolutions are based in #instantgratification, or what I call “gimme, gimme goals.” They are things we say we want, but don’t really want to put in the work to make them happen.
Reason #2: There is no accountability in place to succeed. Most of you spout out your resolutions without having any system in place to maintain your commitment. So the minute you lose your motivation it’s easy to stop because, well, who is going to know anyway?
So, if you really want to keep your New Year’s Resolutions, or better yet, create ACTUAL GOALS WITH PURPOSE AND COMMITMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY, I highly suggest you get my Foolproof Goal Setting Audio Program to take you through a real goal process.
Or, do these six things…
1. Choose a word for the year. Select one word that, if you applied it to everything in your life during 2020, it would make a massive difference for you. Maybe this is the year you Stretch. That could mean as an artist, as a human, stretching your body, your mind, trying things that scare you… whatever. Or maybe your word could be Value. Imagine if you chose to value yourself more? Value your time. Value your money. How could that word change your life? Pick a word that speaks to you and make it your #WordOfTheYear.
2. Choose what you are NOT taking into 2020 with you. Equally as important bring great things into 2020 is deciding what NOT to bring. This could be a bad habit, a negative belief, even a person. But if you choose it, you’ve gotta stick to it! #abolishbadhabits
3. Finally do that thing you’ve been saying you want to do. We all have projects or ideas (actually, multitudes of them) that we just haven’t completed. Make this the year you finish that screenplay, or organize your closet or learn to speak Spanish. Whatever it is, just go do it finally. What are you waiting for? #FinishYourProject
4. Laugh more. It’s almost impossible to NOT rock the year if more of your time is spent laughing! Children laugh all the time. And actors and artists certainly laugh more than those I call “civilians.” But sadly, the older we get or the more jaded we get about the struggles of being an actor, we forget to laugh. Laughing will cure so many things both physical and mental. Laugh more and you will thrive in 2019. #LaughterIsMedicine
5. Sign up for The Actor’s Roadmap. This monthly subscription for actors gives you a guided weekly plan for success with me as your coach! You get all the perks of having me as your personal career coach, without the high price! Check it out here #actorsroadmap
6. Choose your “Yes, and…” for the year. We know the phrase, “Yes, and…” from our improv training. But applying that technique and life can not only make it more fun, but can also make others wants to be around you and work with you. Your statement can take the form of how you define yourself as in, “Yes, I’m an actor AND a writer.” OR, it can take on something you want to do as in, “Yes, AND I’m going to get my pilot’s license.” OR, simply replacing any “NO” with “Yes, and…” will always lead to something great.
Leslie Becker is an award-winning Broadway actress, writer and creator of The Organized Actor® and is passionate about inspiring, entertaining and educating others. www.OrganizedActor.com.
