The Best 2021 Resolution
Committing to inner work is the most transformational resolution
At the beginning of each new year, it’s common for people to commit to resolutions. These resolutions typically include things like losing weight, eating healthier, finding a partner, or finally running a marathon. They often have to do with outward goals that result from a new or renewed commitment. And usually the resolutions have to do with improving one’s health or wellbeing, or finally reaching a longtime goal that heretofore wasn’t made a priority.
Last week as I thought about the process of making new-year resolutions, it struck me that so often we focus on outward goals. We want something concrete that we can measure. Did I or did I not run a marathon? Did I or did I not lose X number of pounds? While these kinds of immediate goals are important, they oftentimes miss the inner growth that can profoundly shift the very nature of the goals we set.
What if our resolutions focused more on things that develop who we are rather than what we are? This subtle yet significant shift can make a huge difference in how we show up in the world and the ease with which we achieve our goals.
When it comes to finding a partner, perhaps the goal should be deeper than just finding a partner on a dating app. What kind of a person would your ideal partner want to be with? What energy, qualities, and characteristics can you develop and refine that will attract that partner?
Running a marathon is an admirable goal. But what type of person will be crossing the finish line? How about someone who wasn’t just dedicated to their physical health, but someone who nurtured their spirit and those around them?
For many people, 2020 was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year. Many assumed that the changing of the calendar year would suddenly end the problems they faced. But the truth is, even in horrible circumstances, who you are can transform even the darkest times. If you have developed your inner strength and peace, you’ll be steady and strong and even flourish during crises. That’s the kind of resolution that changes lives!
My dad recently sent me the following comic and I thought it perfectly reflects this truth. It says, “The one who has to be different isn’t 2021…it’s you!”
If every year we measure our progress by the resolutions and goals we make at its beginning, what will we have accomplished by the end of our lives? We may have a stack of cumulative accomplishments at the end of each year.
What if you committed to developing inner qualities that constitute the very nature of a conscious leader? In just a few years, you’d be a different person. A person who walks through life gracefully and has true world-changing impact wherever they are. Working with a coach is a fantastic gift to give yourself and those around you as you enter 2021. It’s a resolution that will reap benefits for the rest of your life.
Work happy. Live happy. BE happy.
Meredith
The way we work and build teams is rapidly changing. Leaders often feel unprepared to navigate the transition. As a conscious leadership coach, consultant and communicator, Meredith helps leaders and their teams create new ways of working and relating so they can prepare for the future by consciously co-creating it.
Contact her to develop your conscious leadership and transform your organization into the workplace of the future.
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