Make this one single mistake, and this one mistake alone, come January 1st, and you can pretty much "write-off" the rest of the year.



What is it?

I'm glad you asked. :-)

Here it is:

Making New Year's resolutions.

Plain and simple.

Now...

What's wrong with making New Year's resolutions, you ask?

Good question.

See if any of this sounds familiar...

Every year, right around this time of year, millions upon millions of people sit down and make a list of *all* the things they're going to start or stop doing beginning January 1st to change their lives.

Their "laundry lists" usually go something like this...

Starting January 1st, I'm going to:

1. Stop smoking.

2. Stop drinking.

3. Eat better.

4. Lose weight.

5. Start exercising.

6. Work harder.

7. Save money.

8. Get out of debt.

9. Stop arguing with my spouse.

10. Stop yelling at my kids.

11. Spend more time with my family.

12. Read more.

13. Watch TV less.

14. Stop swearing.

15. Stop kicking my dog.

16. Blah...

17. Blah...

18. Blah!

Then...

With the absolute best of intentions...

Come the morning of January 1st...

They hit the ground running...

And...

Usually by noon...

More often than not...

What happens?

You got it...

Crushed by the overwhelming weight of their newly created self-imposed burdens they...

Implode...

Or...

Explode...

As the case may be...

And are left once again to utter those immortal words...

"Well, I guess I'll try again next year"...

Starting yet another new year off with a great big colossal failure to add to their ever growing pile.

Don't let that be you...

Don't set yourself up for failure!

Personally...

Other than its being a holiday, I don't treat January 1st any differently than I do any other day of the year and I certainly don't use it, nor any other day of the year for that matter, to put myself under the intense pressure of a self-imposed deadline to begin or stop doing something that I might want to change in my life.

In other words...

I don't set myself up to fail.

If there's something I *really* want to change in my life and it's in alignment with what's *truly* important to me, regardless of what it is, I simply incorporate it, without any time references or restrictions whatsoever, into my "vision", imagine it as an already accomplished reality, *my* reality, and allow myself to "grow into it", so to speak, as the time is right for it to happen.

And...

That's *exactly* what I recommend you do as well!

With that sage piece of advice...

Once again...

I wish you and your loved ones the absolute best of holiday seasons and a wealthy, healthy, successful, and happy New Year!

Copyright (c) 2008 Tony Mase