With a new year comes many connotations – a fresh start, a new beginning, the closing of some doors, and the opening of others. A new year also brings hope, anticipation, opportunity, and excitement.
I have no doubt that many of you have set some resolutions for the new year, be they mentally noted, verbally spoken, or written down. The majority of any new years resolutions we make are about two things – us and change. We have an innate desire to change ourselves for the better, and the beginning of a new year seems to be the most natural time to think about, plan, and implement this change.
Bringing about chance is not rocket science. If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got. Simple. Nothing will happen if nothing you do changes. Before you get thrust into groundhog day where you live through the same daily routines stuck on autopilot, apply a new idea and create a new habit (or three!) that will, in time, prompt and promote change.
You’ve got to push your boundaries before you can explore new territory. You must exceed new limits before you see you sights. In other words, you must be challenged before you experience change. As I’ve said before, if it doesn’t challenge you – mentally, physically, or spiritually – it will not change you.
Too often people think about challenge as a negative word. This is possibly because challenge often goes hand in hand with hard work, a bit of pressure, and demands you to step outside your comfort zone. But you only really ever experience true satisfaction and glory when you conquer challenges. The bigger the challenge – the greater the satisfaction. The smiles, happiness, and victorious mindset that follows the success of overcoming life’s greatest obstacles and challenges is both indescribable and invaluable. Challenge should be part of our everyday vocabulary, and a significant part of everybody’s lives. And challenge should be viewed optimistically – for without challenge, life would be dull, bleak and incredibly boring. And ultimately, without challenge, there would not be change.
So, take this time (while you’ve got a few moments reading this) and have another think about your resolutions and the changes you wish to feel and witness in 2013. Have you got a plan of attack to bring your resolutions to fruition? Do your resolutions challenge you? If you’ve answered no to these two questions then adapt your resolutions and plan of attack so that they make you a little uncomfortable, and so that they will continue to be a work in progress for you. Attack the challenge head on, battle it out, and reap the true satisfaction of victory. And learn to love and embrace the changes that follow as a result.