Are you one that likes to create resolutions each new year you face? Like many people, I do look forward to the start of a new year because it is full of new opportunity to grow in many areas of life. Many people either talk about or create new year’s resolutions.
That doesn’t mean people actually stick to them though! In reality creating resolutions to progress, change and grow in life are a great idea to do any time of the year. However, the goal for this article is not to convince you to make new year’s resolutions if you haven’t resolved to that. My purpose today is to present some sources of collective wisdom for those that want to create resolutions that help them strive towards their destiny in life. If you care to join me, then keep reading as I share some practical insights on how you can do just that!
I’d like to start off by encouraging you to look back over the past year, and first reflect over all of the progress you made, lessons learned, and ways you were challenged to grow so you can celebrate your life rather than going through the motions of planning. Basking in the blessing moments and enjoying the journey as you strive towards your destiny is something I encourage you to hold dear to your heart.
The 7 Decisions by Andy Andrews
Andy Andrews is an international known speaker and New York Times best selling author of the Traveler’s Gift and The Noticer. You can learn more about Andy and his amazing resources at: http://www.andyandrews.com/. I was privileged to recently listen to him speak again, and wanted to share some of the best of what he affirms that are keys to living a life of deep meaning and purpose as you strive towards your destiny! He calls them The Seven Decisions. Below are some of the highlights that I encourage you to reflect on as you plan your resolutions for the upcoming year:
1. “The Responsible Decision” – The Buck Stops Here!
- I am where I am today – mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, and financially – because of the decisions I have made. My decisions have always been governed by my thinking.
- God did not put in me the ability to always make right decisions. He did, however, put in me the ability to make a decision and then make it right. The buck stops here!
2. “The Guided Decision” – I Will Seek Wisdom!
- I will seek wisdom. I will choose my friends with care.
- I will listen to the counsel of wise men.
- I will be a servant to others. I will become a humble servant. I will not look for someone to open my door – I will look to open the door for someone.
3. “The Active Decision” – I am a Person of Action!
- Beginning today, I will create a new future by creating a new me. No longer will I dwell in a pit of despair, moaning over squandering time and lost opportunity. I can do nothing about the past. My future is immediate. When I am faced with the choice of doing nothing or doing something, I will always choose to act! I seize this moment. I choose now.
- I am a person of action. I inspire others with my activity.
- Leading is doing. My activity will be consistent.
- When faced with a decision, many people say they are waiting for God. But I understand, in most cases, God is waiting for me! He has given me a healthy mind to gather and sort information and the courage to come to a conclusion.
- I do not fear failure, for in my life, failure is a myth. Failure exists only for the person who quits. I do not quit. I am a person of action!
4. “The Certain Decision” – I have a Decided Heart!
- A person without a dream never had a dream come true.
- I have a decided heart. I know that the purpose of analysis is to come to a conclusion.
- I do not procrastinate. All my problems become smaller when I confront them.
5. “The Joyful Decision” – Today, I Will Choose to be Happy!
- People are drawn to me because I have laughter in my heart.
- I am the possessor of a grateful spirit.
- It is impossible for the seeds of depression to take root in a thankful heart.
- My God has bestowed upon me many gifts, and for these I will remember to be grateful. Too many times I have offered up the prayers of a beggar, always asking for more and forgetting to give thanks. I do not wish to be seen as a greedy child, unappreciative and disrespectful. I am grateful for sight and sound and breath. If ever in my life there is a pouring out of blessings beyond that, then I will be grateful for the miracle of abundance.
- Today I will choose to be happy. I will smile at every person I meet.
6. “The Compassionate Decision” – I Will Greet This Day With a Forgiving Spirit!
- By the simple act of granting forgiveness, I release the demons of the past about which I can do nothing, and I create myself a new heart, a new beginning.
- I will forgive even those who do not ask for forgiveness.
- I will forgive those who criticize me unjustly.
- I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit. I will forgive myself.
7. “The Persistent Decision” – I Will Persist Without Exception!
- I know the outcome I desire. I hold fast to my dreams. I stay the course. I do not quit.
- I see exhaustion as a precursor to victory.
- I will persist without exception. I am person of great faith.
- For me, faith will always be a sounder guide than reason because reason can only go so far – faith has no limits. I will expect miracles in my life because faith produces them every day. I will believe in the future that I do not see. That is faith. And the reward of this faith is to see the future that I believed.
If you want to download a great document that explains these principals in greater detail please visit: The Seven Decisions.
Humanizing Goal Setting
Recently I was fortunate enough to glean wisdom from another successful leader: Bruce Seidman, President of Sandler Training Systems. He presented the concept of humanizing your goal setting. He presented the concept of a “Who am I Triangle”? The triangle consisted of your personal gifting, your purpose in life and your leadership brand. Below are the four steps he recommends as you look at planning your goals and resolutions for the upcoming year:
- First ask yourself: “what would others say they would change about you if they could”?
- Define Your Strengths – This could be professionally or personally speaking. Also, this is a great way to help you to come up with your purpose. You can also look to books like Now Discover Your Strengths or websites like www.strengthsfinder.com to help you if needed.
- Define Your Driving Purpose – Another way of looking at this is what is your one reason to live when all things fail? Write it down and be specific.
- Build Your Leadership Brand – You start by choosing 4 to 5 words that represent your core values. You then come back to these as you face tough times in life and use them as your measuring stick for the creation of new goals and resolutions. Bruce’s example was (Live, Love, Laugh, Learn & Teach). You then need to choose one of those words that is your ignitor word that drives everything else within you. For Bruce it was love.
Practical Steps for Developing Your Resolutions Process
1. List out the major obstacles and opportunities you see in your life within the next 12 months.
2. Pick Your Personal Board of Advisors – reflect on the people you respect the most, and the ones that inspire you most to reach your dreams in different areas of life. The ones that embody the type of life you are pursuing in terms of character and accomplishment. You don’t need to officially tell them that they are on your board of advisors, but you should tap into their strengths and wisdom in an on-going fashion. They might be in different areas of specialty. One could be finances, one could be career, and one could be relationships as an example. You can start by pouring into their lives and serving them out of love and friendship. In doing so you can ensure your outward focus builds deeper roots.
3. Pick categories of areas of life change that are meaning to you. Some examples could be: health/well-being, life balance, financial, relationships, career, spiritual life, reputation, etc.
4. Be specific with each goal or resolution you create within each category. The number isn’t important, what is important is that they are all in areas of life that personally impactful to you and they are extremely specific so they can be measurable.
5. I recommend you mount your list of resolutions somewhere that you will be able to see it as a visual reminder. It could be within your office, common area of your home, a work-out room or in your bedroom near your night stand. I recommend you revisit this every 1 to 2 months and review your progress, or re-challenge yourself to be accountable to your resolutions. Better yet, if you can do this process with a friend, family member or co-worker you can typical see even greater progress and accountability.
To take the first step of action today, I would encourage you to utilize my free tool called: Creating Resolutions Towards Your Destiny.
For more input on creating resolutions for the upcoming year, please check out this previous post and video I produced. I pray that the next year of your life is the most exciting ever as your resolve to walk into it full of faith friend!
God bless,
Joe
* feel free to contact me personally with any questions or comments.