Well hello and Happy 2019 to you #ShokzSquadCAN! My name is Tammy and I am thrilled to be a part of the #AfterShokzCAN team as a brand ambassador. As a physical therapist, certified group fitness instructor and fitness entrepreneur with three pre-teen and teenaged boys, leading an active lifestyle and encouraging others to do so get me excited every single day!
I’m here to share what my 2019 resolution is and how I’m going to accomplish that, but allow me to ask YOU first…how are you doing with your resolutions?
Quite a while back, after years of varied success with resolutions, I decided to ditch resolutions completely and switched it up to having a theme for each year instead. This has truly proven to be much more positive and fruitful. I encourage you to consider doing the same!
Why a theme?
With resolutions, I always felt like I was putting myself up to a test - a test which I would either pass or fail at any time. You either accomplish a resolution or you don’t. With a yearly theme, I have found that it is more of a win-win situation as:
- You can’t win or lose at a theme - it is much more forgiving.
- A theme is pliable and evolves with you as you go through the year.
- Even if you do something that isn’t in line with your theme, it is somehow mentally easier to self-correct and continue along your way.
What’s my theme you ask?
My personal theme for 2019...Drum roll, please…systemization.
I am creating more systems in my personal and family life this year to improve efficiency in our family’s daily/weekly schedule, household orderliness, and my personal exercise, sleep, nutrition, and workflow.
What I love about a yearly theme is that I don’t have to implement this all at once because that would be crazy talk and it would be a sure-fire pathway straight to the Door of Failure.
Keys To Theme Activation:
- Strength in numbers: There is way more buy-in if the people around you are in-the-know or are working on the theme together with you. I shared the theme with my family so that we could discuss what that meant to each of us and discuss how we could work together as a family and as individuals. I’m not the only one getting into this mindset - strength in numbers! There is way more buy-in if the people who are close to you are in-the-know or are working on the theme together with you. I shared the systematization theme with my family so that we could discuss what that meant to each of us and discuss how we could work together under this theme as a family and as individuals. I’m not the only one getting into this mindset - the power of the group!
- Start with small wins - It’s overwhelming to try to implement big systems all at once. Start small. January is about allowing myself the small wins to keep up the excitement. I've tidied up the main bathroom in true KonMari style (If you want some tips on some life-changing organizing tips, check her out!) I started shifting my sleep schedule gradually to go to bed earlier -win-, I've ordered my new planner - win-, etc. I am on a roll! With these small wins, it is so much easier to feel successful and this helps to keep up the momentum.
- Link the small wins to make bigger wins - For example: Small Win 1: Going to sleep earlier + Small Win 2: Waking up earlier + Small Win 3: Start exercising in the morning again + Small Win 4: Use my planner each morning to set my key goals and tasks = BIG WIN: I'm someone who is prepared each morning to run my day with intention and energy!
Some of the small wins might take longer to achieve than others and they may occur out of order, but that's okay. The beauty of a theme vs a resolution is that it is more forgiving and flexible. It might take me a few weeks to shift my sleep schedule enough that I can create enough time in the morning to exercise AND write in my planner. For now, I'm really focusing on the regular sleep schedule shift, getting in the habit of using my new planner daily, and I exercise during the afternoon/evening. Once my sleep schedule is consistent with an early enough wake-up, I'll connect the Small Wins for my BIG WIN!"
Once you’ve got some confidence at the making the small wins happen and new habits have been formed as a result, it’s time to start linking. I’ll be combining the small wins into a longer and bigger chain of wins.
The key thing here is that these larger chains will naturally be built through the year as I get more efficient and automatic with my new processes. I have the whole year to build my systematization theme success versus feeling the pressure right up front with a resolution.
Bonus: Own your theme from the start. Avoid the awful statement, “I will…” as this becomes a personal integrity win or lose proposition. You need a more definitive commitment…now! Own it! Since January 1, 2019, I have instilled the belief within myself that I am good at systems. I am owning it and aligning my Doing with my Being. Simply BE and work from that mindset. The choices and decisions suddenly become more natural as you are suddenly making decisions based on who you are now versus who you were before.
Will you try the idea of a yearly theme? Do you have another way of achieving success with New Years’ resolutions otherwise? Cheers to 2019 and your health and success in it whether it be through a resolution or theme! To follow Tammy’s progress with her theme, you can follow her here!