The new year has just been kicked off.
A brand new year with brand new resolutions, fresh intentions, exciting goals.
A brand new year with lots of excitement for making a new start.
#newyearnewme, right?
And a brand new year with lots of mile-high expectations.
And before you know it, you have put some nice crisp pressure on yourself…
This has to be THE year I’m gonna nail ALL my goals.
I’m gonna speak up, give that feedback, lead that project, get that promotion, reboot my career.
I’m gonna stop worrying so much about the feedback I get and simply shake it off.
I’m gonna stop worrying about wanting to say the right thing at the right time – my opinion matters as much as theirs, so I’m just gonna speak my mind.
I’m gonna change careers, figure out what I really want and go for it – regardless of all the pushback I’ll get from the people around me.
I’m gonna eat healthy, go to the gym 3 times a week, get lots of sleep.
I’m gonna manage my time like never before – no more overwhelm, no more endless to-do lists, inbox zero every single day.
I’m gonna set boundaries, leave work on time, say no to that unexpected extra work – without feeling guilty.
I’m gonna stop feeling responsible for the work of my colleagues and stop taking over the work they should be doing (but aren’t).
I’m gonna make time for fun, meet-ups with friends, eating out, traveling, finally doing something about that hobby I’ve been putting on the back-burner for so long.
I am so gonna do ALL. THE. THINGS.
This is gonna be the new, improved, perfect me.
And then – despite your best intentions, your can-do excitement and determination – things don’t go as expected.
You wanted to give your colleague feedback, and said nothing instead.
You wanted to lead that project, and backed out instead.
You got feedback on the presentation you did, and couldn’t shake it off.
You wanted to pitch your idea, and put it off instead.
You wanted to transition into a new career, and gave up your search after browsing a couple of job postings.
You didn’t get to inbox zero, and that to-do list definitely did not get done.
You didn’t leave work on time.
You still took over that report from that colleague to make sure it got done on time.
You canceled that meet-up with friends – too much work, too tired.
You didn’t go to the gym, though you said you would.
You got take-out pizza because you had no energy left to make yourself that organic salad – even though you did have all the ingredients in your fridge.
And then, they pop up again – those familiar voices.
Sometimes just inside your head, sometimes echoed by the people around you.
You’ll never be able to make those changes.
You are just deluding yourself.
What’s wrong with you?!
You are such a failure.
And then you feel inclined to just give up.
To shelve your beautiful intentions.
To throw away your exciting goals.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Because there’s always that powerful little gift.
It’s a gift that only you can give yourself.
It’s a gift saying “my goals matter – no matter what.”
It’s a gift saying “I matter – no matter what.”
It’s a gift saying “I care about me.“
It’s a gift that is handing you your power back.
It’s a gift that you can give yourself ANY time.
Be it January 6th, February 18th, June 9th or December 13th.
It’s the gift of recommitting.
It’s the gift of recommitting to your goals.
It’s the gift of recommitting to yourself.
Making your goals happen – taking one micro-action at a time.
Living up to your full potential – focusing on one goal at a time.
Making your goals happen – through all the screw-ups, setbacks and failures.
Living up to your full potential – through all the criticism and pushback.
Living YOUR life, instead of living out someone else’s expectations or a toned down version of yourself.
Giving it your all, in your fabulous imperfect way.
So give yourself that powerful little gift.
And make 2020 a fabulous year.
Not because you got lucky.
But because you chose to.
Time and again.
Every day of the year.