The end of the year often brings moments of reflection. Looking back on 2024, there will be things you are proud of and things you would like to do again, in your personal and professional life.
You may have had a tough 2024 following an extremely challenging year in 2023. So with what mindset do we start 2025? Let me suggest: Start 2025 with celebrations and end it with celebrations.
What does this mean? It’s the feeling of success that grows the desire in you to chase bigger goals to achieve bigger success for an amplified feeling. While you may have had another challenging year in 2024 with poor or mediocre results, it’s vital that you reflect on the few positive results achieved and reward yourself with that feeling of success.
When you start the year 2025 on a positive note of that nature, the inner inspiration you gain will drive you to achieve greater success – so that you can celebrate more meaningfully at the beginning of the year.
Past practise dictates that every year, you should try to kick bad habits away and start your life anew. What kind of New Year Resolutions did you make for yourself for this new year?
All I know for sure is that you resolve to improve every year when you make a fresh start. It almost seems like we can start all over to finally become that successful, wonderful, productive, healthy, happy person we’ve always wanted to be. However, the problem with the start of a new year is that most good intentions are often derailed in a few days or weeks.
More effort
The enthusiasm to make changes tends to fade once we realise we can’t change everything overnight or it takes great effort to realise them. If you want to make lasting changes, there are three things you can do to make your resolutions work all year long: Correct your attitude, embrace the right lifestyle and be committed to achieving the resolution.
Why do people abandon their resolutions halfway? One reason is that we get discouraged when results don’t come fast enough or easily, or when we find that we are not necessarily happier because of them. Behavioural change requires sustained effort and commitment. It is also typically accompanied by physical and mental discomfort.
For example, reducing the consumption of food, working or studying longer hours and sleeping less and changing habits from that which you have become accustomed to.
What does this mean? How do you measure this? Resolutions also fail because they are vague and impossible to measure. One could resolve to be a nicer person but how could this be measured? How would anyone know when and whether that goal had been achieved?
A better resolution would be to pay a compliment to a single person on a daily basis. Make a goal that can be reached in one year. This guideline is especially important for gifted children, who have lofty goals, often beyond what they could achieve in a year. Of course, if a child goes beyond a goal in less than one year, that’s fine. The idea is just to make sure that the goal is achievable.
Make it work
Putting down the resolutions on paper and the plans to make it happen is important because it helps you remain focused and will serve as a reminder of the resolution. It also makes the plan formal, not just a passing thought made on New Year’s Day.
Find alternatives to change your behaviour and improve it and make it a part of your resolution plan. If you want to quit night clubbing and have been indulging in it for relaxation or to be with friends, one has to look at alternative forms of relaxation and select the ones that have more positives.
Like it or not, the reality is many of us are ill-prepared for the challenges ahead. Whether it’s the implementation of AI, preparing our management teams for an ever-changing world of work, or finding the sweet spot with flexibility, very few of us are getting these 100% right.
Solutions to all external challenges lie within you. Rather than trying to control what you cannot, its paramount that you use your internal power to control what you can with a solutions-driven mind set for 2025.
Above all, aim for that which is truly important, not what you think you ought to do or what others expect of you. After all it’s your life, your vision, your goal, your effort and your success that’s primary. It’s not being selfish but accepting the reality that in the event you fail you cannot help others. Be determined to be successful this new year.
Make 2025 the best year ever for you and for all Sri Lankans.
