You’ve written your goals for the new year and toasted to wealth, wellth and happiness. You’ve overhauled your mentality and returned to work with a newfound tenacity. 2016 is HERE. This is YOUR year. You’re ready to hunker down and make things happen…but you’re not sure where to start.
This is not uncommon.
Drafting New Year’s resolutions is an exciting ritual. If you followed my Millionaire Mentor Week: Holiday Edition, you know that I begin my annual planning in December, because I am all about living life by design. But putting resolutions into action can be an overwhelming task – especially if the resolution list is long.
So where should you begin?
Here’s what I do:
Start small.
Break goals into smaller steps, or intervals. Ask yourself: What can I manage over the next week? Thirty days? Three months? Making things simple makes the process of beginning much less intimidating.
Get the easy stuff out of the way first.
After breaking goals down, knock out the smallest steps immediately. The first thing that I do is figure out the logistics – eg. class times, program costs – and mark my calendar in advance. I also try to tackle any necessary expenses, like registration fees, so that everything is already accounted for and I can simply enjoy myself whenever the date rolls around!
To get you started, here are five WealthyWellthy-inspired resolutions you can tackle today:
Order The Bulletproof Diet.
If your goal is to eat healthy this year, don’t, whatever you do, revert to low-fat mentality and juice cleanses. Instead, order this book: The Bulletproof Diet. The author, Dave
Asprey, biological “hacker” and Bulletproof CEO, is paving the way in healthy eating. His derivative of the paleo diet will not only help you to look and feel better, it will also serve to curb the onset of illness and possibly cease or reverse any complications you may have developed from the poor habits you left in 2015! For good nutrition and longevity, read The Bulletproof Diet.
Set your exercise plan.
Exercise resolutions are where a lot of people get carried away, so it’s no coincidence that gym attendance starts to dwindle around March. Many people think that exercising way more is the answer to all of their body problems, when it actually just causes more stress. That’s why we burn out so quickly. Like everything, it’s best to keep it simple. I’m learning that shorter, high-intensity workouts are actually much better for building strength and improving overall health. So I recommend starting with 30-minute workouts. For the next four weeks, mark one to two 30-minute slots on your calendar that you will use to get fit. And then commit! If at the end of the four weeks you need to adjust your exercise schedule, go ahead and do so! Just go with the flow.
That’s the beauty of phasing rituals in – when you take things one step at a time, you are able to adjust more easily, without feeling anxious or overwhelmed!
Confront your debt.
The best time to start tackling debt is immediately! Especially the debt you may have accumulated over the holidays. Check out my simple debt-elimination system and put together a plan of action to start paying off your debt. This is the system that I used to build myself up after falling into crippling debt in my early 30s. You’ll notice that it’s very similar to my technique for tackling resolutions: start with the small stuff first – what can you pay off today?! – and then move forward. I promise – it works!
Related: Cure a Debt Hangover
Make an investment in yourself.
If you really want to make 2016 your year, find a hobby or ritual that will serve you both personally and professionally – something that will be fun and engaging to you, but will also improve the way you show up at work.
And then prepare to invest a little money. For instance, you might opt to sign up for an improve class to improve your confidence and articulation – both in informal settings and at the office. Your step for today would be to research what’s available and sign up for the course that best suits your needs. Consider the expense that you pay an investment in your wellbeing and in your productivity. One thing that I do is schedule out and purchase my massages for the year. That way, when life gets trying, I can rely on my upcoming massage to help me de-stress, without having to fuss over scheduling on short notice or paying a monthly fee. It’s already taken care of, so all I have to do is show up and enjoy myself!
Make an investment in your education.
Treat your brain this year. Invest in your growth. Because as much as you can absorb from what’s available on the internet, next-level, transformative education does not come for free. If this year you want to learn about programming, invest in a program or conference that will teach you everything there is to know, and connect you with fellow programming enthusiasts.
