Mareus News Blog

Happy New Year… Happy New You!

December 31st, 2011

Tweet

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.”
Edith Lovejoy Pierce

There was something nice about getting a fresh new copybook when I was in school. I would write so neatly in the first few pages, and then unavoidably I would mispell or smudge something by about page four, and the motivation to maintain my good habits would wane… and sure I knew I would get another copybook in a while and a second chance to be super neat and tidy, no harm done. The cycle would repeat year on year, with somewhat similar results.

It’s New Year’s eve, that time of year where we look back on things past, and then look forward with new hope and expectation for the adventure that can be found in the new year ahead. On this the eve of the new year, January 2012 is your new blank copybook, why not open the first page and write down a few new things you would like to experience or change in 2012… and then just do it!

So… is it as easy as that in reality? Well as anyone who has made new year’s resolutions in the past knows, it’s a difficult thing to break out of old habits, even ones we recognise as bad habits, or habits that hold us back. Often by mid January the runners are gathering dust, and we are back on the sofa eating fast food, thinking, “look it’s raining, I don’t think missing one night at my class will be a big deal, and there’s supposed to be a major shock in Fair City tonight that I don’t want to miss, but I’ll get back to it next week though, I promise.”

There is a great comfort in both our good and bad habits, we know how they work for and against us, and even if some of our habits make us unhappy… well, we have a good idea how the situation is likely to play out, so “that’s ok isn’t it, better the devil you know?”

Staying in our habit zones means we’re probably not going to be surprised or under pressure or out of our comfort zones very often, but it also means we limit our exposure to new experiences and learnings. Habits can narrow our lifepath experiences, and quench the natural spirit of adventure and curiosity we are born with. Just look at the scrapes toddlers get into before they learn habits at home and in school and in life if you don’t believe adventure is in our nature.

Nevertheless we live in a chaotic world, a world with much uncertainty, where life is precious and precarious. We never really know what lies ahead. I think we develop habits to try and put some order on that chaos, and feel more in control of our destiny and sometimes that can hold us back from living our BESt and truest lives.

As a coach, I ask you to put 15 minutes aside over the next week. Get that new fancy notebook out, and check in with yourself.

1) What are your current “healthy” habits and what are your current “hold-back” habits? What will you do about it?

2) What does BESt You in 2012 look like? Is there a hobby or an activity you have been putting off? Is there an ambition you haven’t told anyone about for fear of what they might think, or for fear that they might encourage you to go for it! Ahhhh!!!!

3) Focus on the positive, not on holding yourself back, and then when you have your list, rank the list in order placing a big number 1 beside the item that most captivates you, then continue to rank the items through the list (2,3,4 etc.) down to the item that least does.

4) Pick one step you need to take before 9th January that will bring you a little closer to achieving item number 1 (it could be booking a class, speaking with an expert, booking a coaching session to keep you on track, or just doing it). Then pick another step for the following week and so on through January.

Remember, if nothing changes, nothing changes. If we carry the same habits and behaviours into 2012, we will continue to get the same results as we did in 2011. So take stock now, is this for you? Or would you like to change a few things, start a few adventures, and burst out of your comfort zone in 2012? If so, make a good habit of challenging yourself in 2012.

Don’t forget to get in touch by phone or email if I can help with the New You in 2012, or if you have any questions about coaching or how it could benefit you.

Release your natural spirit of adventure, and let’s lead our BESt life from the front in 2012!

Thanks to everyone for your support in 2011.

All the best from Park West,