We all know the standard New Year’s Resolutions by now. Exercise more. Lose weight. Manage your debt. Save more money. There’s an app for all of these and a lot more. And most people make it all the way to February before effectively giving up on the resolutions. A personal trainer I know refuses to accept new clients in January; he figures that someone who begins in February will be more committed. So instead of resolutions, try these commitments instead.
- Be and stay healthy. You can maintain and improve some even if you’ll never fit into your high school jeans.
- Put it on the calendar. Ink and electrons don’t forget what neurons do.
- Stop complaining and find solutions. Most things that upset you are temporary- it amazes me to this day how many people take out their frustration on the gate agent who, by the way, had absolutely nothing to do with the snowstorm/traffic/lost luggage that upsets them.
- Connect and retain connections. That person you met 6 months ago might be the key to making the sale or getting the job you want three years from now.
- Use your time wisely. Yes, it’s easy to kill time with Facebook and Twitter. But really, does knowing what someone had for lunch add value to your life?
- Borrow and re-use (and especially from non-standard sources). That’s what I’ve done here. The article I’ve paraphrased was written by Nicole Smartt and published in the Globe and Mail. Here’s a link to the original – thanks Nicole!