A holistic approach to New Year’s Resolutions

So it’s January.

Whether you are a fan of New Year’s Resolutions or you refuse to set any just to prove the point, the truth is that this time of year we all think about the next few months, consider options and choose possible ways forward. Very specifically or not.

You may be a precise-planner with a diary in your hand or a free bird going through life ready for anything and everything, Let’s agree though that it is in general a sensible idea for the start of a new year to have a vision of what the future looks like.
Recently Richard Branson recommended lists as a method for “turning ideas into measurable goals.”
I couldn’t agree more. I am almost convinced that the minutes I learnt how to write, I made the first list. Probably of what I needed to learn next.

In my world a task written down is a task completed (eventually 🙂 ) No recommendation needed. I love lists.
If you are not so into them, let Richard Branson talk you into the concept of creating lists. They help organise thoughts, they help capture what’s important. They work.
So whether you make lists regularly or this January is going to be your first time, here is this year’s idea for creating them.

We tend to focus on what we need to do, therefor we often make to-do lists. But this is 2015 and doing isn’t enough. If you’re familiar with our approach to personal development at PSG we always emphasise the importance of knowing- doing – being. The key is in the balance and the holistic approach to life.

With this in mind we propose the following balance between your lists of New Year’s Resolutions. They are in a form of questions for you to answer:

To-Know List

• What do you want to learn this year?
• How are you going to achieve these objectives?
• What will enable your mental effectiveness and the best use of your mental energy?
• Is it new experiences that you are looking for or is it academic education?
• What opportunities will you have/create to benefit from both?
• Is it your emotional intelligence (EQ) that you wish to develop or is it your mental abilities so intelligence quotient (IQ)?
• What else?
• Where is your focus this year in terms of knowledge and what sources of knowledge will you plug into?
• How can you regularly renew your mental energy and what works best?
• Who can you connect with to exchange information?
• What knowledge can you share with others?
• How can others benefit and what can they learn interacting with you?
• …

To-Do List

• What action do you want to take this year?
• What results do you want to achieve?
• Specifically what goals do you want to focus on and see through to completion in 2015?
• What are the steps that will enable that?
• Are all your goals realistic and measurable?
• What is your timeframe?
• How flexible are you to adjust to different outcomes and respond to changing circumstances?
• How will you ensure your wellbeing in the process of reaching for what you want?
• What will you enjoy most about the process?
• How will you celebrate your levels of success?
• Who is in your support system and how they can benefit from being a part of your success?
• …

To-Be List

• Who are you today and how would you describe yourself?
• What are your strengths and virtues?
• What are your values and how do you honour them?
• What are your best successes that you’re most proud of?
• When do you feel most positive and peaceful?
• What are you grateful for?
• What enables you to trust yourself?
• How can you make all of who you are work for you in 2015?
• Where do you want to go next and who do you want to become in 2015?
• What is your next best opportunity for growth?
• Specifically how can you live truer to your values this year?
• What are the most nurturing and the most valuable relationships and alliances for you this year?
• By bringing value into your own life how do you bring value to others?
• How can you increase your level of mindfulness and gratitude for what is already present in your life?
• …

Can you feel this holistic approach to New Year’s Resolutions? Can you come up with more questions? This can take some time, so allow yourself to find answers. It is effective planning that enables success but answering these questions, you’re aiming for a success achieved holistically through knowing, doing and being.