Hello Friend,
We all have a few goals that have felt too stuck, too big or too hard, for too long. These periodic messages can help you get those stuck goals moving.
This time, we focus upon the one New Year’s resolution that can get our stuck goals, typically also the focus of our resolutions, moving.
(Average reading time: 3:00)
Myth v Reality Brief: Hold to this One New Year’s resolution and watch what happens
Last time, we focused on an experiment to demonstrate the power of our thoughts. I received quite a few responses and the outcomes were very positive and telling. We will return to this topic with a deeper explanation in a future message.
For now, given the recent holiday season, we will focus upon the only truly effective New Year’s resolution.
Resolutions have been part of transitioning into a new year for much of human history. A quick Google search suggests they began at least 4,000 years ago.
These days, most resolutions focus upon either an outcome (e.g. I will double my company’s revenue) or a process (e.g. I will make ten cold calls every day). But even the latter, at their heart, focus upon outcomes (e.g. a desire for increased sales leads and ultimately revenue).
Further, most resolutions focus upon one or more goals that have felt too stuck, too big or too hard, for too long.
The focus for most people then turns to what must be done, what action to take, to achieve the desired outcome, to finally realise the stuck goal.
And, as I’ve noted before, the Myth (see below) is truly a myth and the Reality (see below) is truly the reality. We experience whatever we habitually think about.
When we think about what to do to achieve our New Year’s resolution, we experience ever more tasks to do to achieve our New Year’s resolution. We experience what we think about!
Further, we do not experience the achievement of our New Year’s resolution because we’re not actually thinking about “the achievement of our New Year’s resolution.” We’re actually thinking about NOT yet having achieved our New Year’s resolution. And so that’s what we experience, “NOT yet having achieved our New Year’s resolution.” We experience what we think about!
(I use the quotes above to underscore how accurately we experience that which we predominantly think about.)
The only truly effective New Year’s resolution focuses upon our habitual thoughts. For it truly is so, as noted in the Reality section below, it is our habitual thoughts, and it is only ever our habitual thoughts, that determine how readily we achieve our goals. Our actions are merely by-products, outputs, not inputs.
If we wish to allow our New Year’s resolutions (i.e. our stuck goals), we can resolve to think mostly thoughts that feel good, mostly thoughts about having achieved (‘allowed’ is a better word) our New Year’s resolution, mostly thoughts about truly having what we want.
If we do predominantly focus upon such thoughts, we shall enjoy more experiences “that feel good,” and we shall experience “having achieved our New Year’s resolution.” Put simply, we shall increasingly experience “what we want.”
Some may ask, well how can I think about having allowed my New Year’s resolution before I have, in fact, allowed my New Year’s resolution?
The answer is a large topic which I will also address in the future, but in great brevity,
- Use your imagination, and
- Only use your imagination when you’re feeling quite optimistic and happy, and are thus able to think very optimistic, positive thoughts about your New Year’s resolution, that is, thoughts of having allowed your New Year’s resolution, and
- Know that there’s no need for you to ever again think about your New Year’s resolution to bring it about, so there’s no need to fret if you can’t yet think those optimistic, positive thoughts about it.
So, I urge us all to rethink any New Year’s resolutions we may have made. It will be far more effective (in nudging our stuck goals forward) if we simply resolve to do our best to think mostly thoughts that feel good, mostly good-feeling thoughts about truly having what we want.
If we resolve to do so, 2023 may indeed be a very unusual and fruitful year.
I hope you’ve found something herein to ponder, and I hope you will reconsider any New Year’s resolutions.
These messages will always be brief, informative, thought-provoking, factual and accurate. They will challenge your understanding of life and how we achieve our goals. If you open your mind and heart, they will help you achieve your stuck goals.
Life is meant to be magical. We experience what we believe. If we believe our goals are big or hard, or stuck, that’s our experience. If we believe otherwise, we experience otherwise.
May we all believe in our goals,
Steve
Get Those Stuck Goals Moving
If you would like to learn more, reach out via LinkedIn.
“The key to having what you want is realising just how much you want what you have.”
-Stephen H. Southern
Myth v Reality
Myth: We humans achieve our goals based upon our work, effort, sacrifice, struggle and toil, along with tenacity and intelligence, and some good timing and good luck.
Reality: It is our habitual thoughts, and it is only ever our habitual thoughts, that determine how readily we achieve our goals. Our actions are merely by-products, outputs, not inputs.
Important P.S.A. Regarding “Success”
We are all equally successful. In fact, let’s stop using the term “successful” entirely. Every human alive today, from the pauper all the way down to the multi-billionaire, and somewhere in between there’s you and I, we’re all equally “successful.” Every human has achieved 99.9… percent of all their goals. And every human has a list of five or six goals that feel stuck, that feel too big or too hard. You have such a list. Whomever you look up to as a “successful” person, that person also has such a list. You’re both equal. We’re all equal. We’ve each achieved just about every goal we’ve ever wanted, except for our personal and unique list of five or six goals that feel stuck. And so, let’s stop using the term “successful.” And please, never allow anyone to make you feel less “successful” or “unsuccessful!” And NEVER do so to yourself!
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