How many of us made a "resolution" last year to accomplish something? How long did it last?
A new year will not change your old habits, because you as an individual have not changed.
The problem with resolutions is that they do not deal with the underlying problem - truly understanding who you are and the things that drive your emotions and motivation.
Think about it. Why do you make the decisions that you make? Why do you feel the way you do right now? We spend so much time observing what's going on around us that we forget to really think about ourselves.
This year, let's try something different. Truthfully, it doesn't matter what it is you resolve to do, because the same forces that caused you to lose focus last year will still exist this year.
We, as humans, have a systematic understanding of the behavior of chemicals and animals, but we rarely examine our own behavior. Meditate on that for a minute.
Our behavior and thought processes are very predictable. When we find ourselves in certain circumstances, we usually react in the same way. Our lives are not nearly as chaotic and random as we tend to think they are.
There is a science to the way you think. The decisions you make, the emotional response that your mind generates from different stimuli - all constant. There are certain stimuli that "push our buttons" and create interference, and others that cause us to accomplish great things.
if we truly understood the way we think, imagine the freedom it would give us. Knowing that the fear and frustration we face are simply biological responses that we can predict and control.
What scenarios cause us to become demotivated and discouraged? Can we predict, based upon our past behavior, when these things will arise?
We easily become distracted from some of our goals, but why? We already know that the goal we set today will seem less relevant two months from now. Why not solve that problem forever? Examine your own personal history. What goals were you able to keep at the forefront, and what made it work?
In order to reach any goal, regardless of how small or large it is, we must first learn to stop making decisions based on emotion, and begin making decisions based on knowledge and experience. You know what you're going to face, and the effect it's going to have on you. Learn from it. Adapt.
This year, if you're going to resolve to do something, tune out the distractions and noise from the world around you, and learn to understand yourself.
Think about it. This could be the first year of your life where "everything finally makes sense".
Posted By: Jon C.
Monday, December 31st 2007 at 9:32AM
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