The turning of the calendar is exciting! Starting a new year is an opportunity to turn over a new leaf (of maybe a new snow flake for those of us in the North!). Even though it’s just the next day on the calendar, psychologically the New Year presents itself as a blank canvas.
What will 2014 look like for you? In what areas do you want to grow in? Who do you want to be 12 months from now? 
A better you is only an addition and a subtraction away. You can easily become motivated to try something new. It’s easy to know what you need to do, it’s the action of taking the first step that seems to be the biggest hang up for most people.
It is now early January and the gym is full of good intentions. Soon most people will just pay for the gym membership rather than use it.
Why is this? Because motivation is short lived. Real change happens when we finally draw a line in the sand and step over. We can use the power of motivation to make that step.
You have to get fed up with staying the same. You need to see procrastination and stagnation as enemies to your destiny and purpose.
Potential is what you would be if you put in the time and energy to develop.
That is why we usually begin a new habit. Chances are you also need to stop a current behavior.
Stopping a behavior is as equally important as starting something new. I can’t eat more vegetables and at the same time eat the same amount of pizza and burgers and be better off.
Eating healthy is more than adding in fitness or more fruits. It’s also about removing the pizza and burgers.
When we make a decision to change something about us or start something new, we need to evaluate what we should stop doing.
- If I want to put a new battery in my car I need to take out the old one first
- If I want to have Saturday morning breakfasts with my family, I need stop scheduling meetings on Saturday mornings
- If I want to write more, I need to get up earlier
- If I want to read more, I need to turn the TV off
What is your: If I want to ________ , I need to stop ________
What are you willing to trade today for the things you really want?
Change is uncomfortable. Looking back a year from now and seeing no change will be disappointing. Trade the uncomfortable now for the disappointment later.
What is one thing you are going to start doing this year? What will be one thing you need to stop doing?
