For A Better 2023, Try Improving The Good Things In Your Life

It's a New Year and that means New Year Resolutions. If you can establish a new bare minimum, you'll make more progress than trying to make sweeping changes.

New Year Resolutions fail. If anything, adopt a new daily standard.

So how do you go about raising that bare minimum?

Well, start by making the good that you do just a bit better.

Here's what I mean:

You are not a failure

When we create resolutions, it's almost always achieving the opposite of what we don't have. We're trying to close a wound and fix something about ourselves we don't like:

• We want to lose weight because we feel like we've gained a few.
• We want to save or earn more because we're uncomfortable with our financial future.
• We want to quit smoking or drinking alcohol because we're using it to numb the pain of something unresolved.
• We want to live to the fullest because we know we aren't doing so now.

I'm not here to sugarcoat you and say those things aren't true, and you should not address them. However, we're also possibly choosing these resolutions out of some negative emotion, like guilt or shame. As the days and weeks go on and we don't see progress, we try to rid ourselves of those emotions by scrolling social media, binge eating, binge drinking, or buying stuff we don't need.

Then we're back to square one. This cycle can make us feel like we're a failure and can't make significant progress in our lives.

But you are not a failure. On the contrary, your very existence and ability to read this means you are successful. You can make real change, but you must look at yourself through a different lens. Look at the good things you already do that come easy to you and work on those. Make the 'good' great.

Write a list of your good habits

Instead of writing goals like, "lose 20 pounds by June 2023" or "make $100,000 by Dec 2023," let's first assess what we do well currently.

Write a list of 20 things you do every day that positively impacts your life or the lives of others. Here are some examples of positive habits:

• I wake up at 6 am every day.
• I brush my teeth, shower, wash my face, etc.
• I drink a half gallon of water minimum
• I'm on time for work.
• I listen to productive or motivational podcasts
• I volunteer at my local church
• I help anyone who asks to the best of my ability
• I'm good at Excel spreadsheets
• I keep the kids organized and ready for school
• I'm good at solving crossword puzzles or doodling.

And so on. (What's your list? Share it in the comments)

These sound trivial, but they are not. They are all the things that make you a productive human. Sometimes we don't know how awesome we already are until we see it on paper. And the fact that we want to get better is incredible too. These habits could be the leverage you need this year to establish better ones.

Connecting resolutions to good habits

Goals don't work. Habits and systems do. Yet, most of us aren't systems thinkers. We don't design our days. Instead, we act on impulse, or we're so plugged into the Matrix that we're not sure why we do what we do, but we do it anyway.

But we can connect the things we want to change to the habits already ingrained in our operating system. It's doing what we do, but better.

Here are some examples:

• When I wake up at 6 am every day, I'll do 10 pushups and 10 squats.
• I'll pay myself $5 every day I get to work on time. I'll transfer it to my savings account.
• When I listen to my favorite podcast, I'll walk 1,000 steps.

There are endless ways you can connect one habit to another. These habits, when compounded, can have a 3X, 5X, or 10X impact on your life. It can build the momentum to take on more audacious goals.

You become better by using your good qualities for the betterment of others

Gandhi once said that we 'find ourselves by losing ourselves in the service of others.'

Look for ways to use your strengths more often in your personal and professional life. This will not only help you feel more fulfilled and satisfied, but it can also lead to better performance and success.

You can do that by offering those strengths to help others. It can be through coaching, volunteering, consulting, creating content, or helping others at work.

You can also create a group of like-minded people to help you on your way to success.

If someone relies on you to eat healthier, exercise, level up your skills or income, you're more likely to be successful. Likewise, by raising others, you lift yourself in the process.

Switch things up this year

You've already tried the big resolutions before, so why not switch it up? Try minor improvements that you'll add to existing habits. Try resolutions that involve helping others.

Will the results be different this year? Who knows? But the mindset shift is worth it. Focusing more on what you do well and leveraging that positive energy is what I’m all about this year.