Playing Big By Playing Small

New Year’s Day.

I’m invincible.

I’ve been fine tuning my resolutions. My intentions are confidently set and I’m ready.

“This year will be different” I confidently tell myself. “This is the year I stick to my resolutions.”

Because I usually don’t.

Maybe the best resolution is no resolutions at all.

I’m not quite sure why I have such a challenging time with resolutions. I know there are things I want to change and things I want to accomplish, and there are things I tell myself I no longer want to do. Yet within a few weeks the resolutions I enthusiastically and boldly ran into the new year with feel like work.

They never make it to February.

Change, even change we tell ourselves we really want, can often be quite difficult. We’re often undoing things that we’ve spent a lifetime doing. Change is always much easier on paper than actually changing. Sometimes change feels like you’re standing at the base of a mountain looking up and seeing how far you need to go in order to reach your goal.

Mountains can be quite daunting.

I’ve found the best way to implement change is the same as the best way to climb any mountain.

One step at a time.

I’ve given up on New Year’s resolutions. For me the best way to be bigger is to act smaller. Instead of trying to have one great year I now focus on living one great day.

Then repeating it 364 more times.

I’ve mapped out what a great day looks like to me. Most of which is actually stuff I have complete control over.

My one great day isn’t overly complicated. It’s less about results and more about taking action. Bed early so I can wake up rested. Meditate. Eat healthy energizing food. 30 minutes of exercise. Write. Time with family.

I can certainly do this once.

Then all I need to do is replicate the same actions the next day.

And the next day.

Me giving up donuts for a year wouldn’t be easy.

But I can easily give up donuts for a day.

What can you change in your life for just one day?

It’s amazing where small steps taken consistently can take you.

Actually, they can take you anywhere.

It’s a great day to be you!