I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year! I hope 2009 is a year of happiness, positive changes and wonderful achievments for you all.
One thing that I keep constant for this time of the year is to write my “resolutions” for the coming 365 days. I know that NY resolutions cop a bad rap, people often write a list of things to change when they often (unconsciously) have no intention of changing anything at all. I do not write the token list of “will and will not’s”, instead I write a kind of mission statement for the year, something to set the tone for the days ahead. And I never keep it, nope, call me crazy but I burn it. I want to release it, put it out there that the coming year is going to be AMAZING!
To help you create your own NY Mission Statement, here are a couple of tips….
Firstly, BE POSITIVE! In last years statement I wrote something along the lines of “This year I will spend less time in hospital than last year, I will spend time creating and collecting memories, I will be open to adventure and take a holiday when possible”. While that may seem really simple, the key is in creating positive statements. When writing your NY plan, create statements that give you a positive feeling or emotion. For example, instead of writing “I am lazy and need to lose weight” look at creating a statement that makes you feel good, for example “I am going to enjoy regular exercise and a healthy, nutritious diet”. By creating positive statements you are creating a mindset that helps you to want to change. You feel good about what your doing and that inspires and motivates you to keep working at it. Statements that make you feel bad about yourself will not motivate or inspire you to work towards that goal, negative emotion will only keep you from taking the necessary steps you need to take to succeed, it will keep you stuck right where you are. How about “I will create an organised routine to help me manage my treatments and medications more effectively” or “I will enjoy going out once a month with friends”. I have used both of these with success. These statements make you feel good and thus, you want to achieve them. And when you do so successfully it becomes addictive, you will then be able to set and achieve other uplifting goals, putting into motion a cycle of happy goal achievement!
Secondly, when you get a chance, sit down and write a list of at least 5 different things you can do to help you on your way to achieving you goals. Writing your statement is not enough, you need to start with the minor details first. Once you get those starting points sorted you will find you are charging head-first towards success. Below is an example of what your list may look like if you were wanting to build new friendships and socialise more in 2009:
- Join Facebook, get in touch with old school friends.
- Call my current friends to have dinner at least once a month.
- Join a new club or hobby group I am interested in.
- Get in touch with acquaintances I would like to get to know better.
- Get in touch with family members you would like to see more often.
These are small, easy things you can do and even completing just one or two things on this list will bring change to your social life and create new friendships. Like I have said before, one of my favourite quotes is: Great acts are made up of small deeds– Lao Tzu. It also applies here, start small and go from there.
If you take the time to create a positive mission statement for 2009 and then follow it up with a small list of tasks to get you achieving your goals you will find that by the end of 2009 you will have achieved the majority of those very things that you wrote down with your own happiness in mind.
One last thing, this is not specific to the New Year period. It is never too late to write a mission statement and then take small steps to achieve your goals. At the end of the day all you really need is the will to want change in your life. You have to want it. The wanting will then help you take care of the details and create that change!
My mission statement for 2009 is to continue creating a useful and inspiring website for people with Chronic Illness and injury as well as anyone else searching for some help in creating happiness in their everyday lives. I aim to help people realise their dreams and goals despite the trials of illness and injury because I believe we all have the ability to live positive, fulfilling lives – health aside.
So here’s to a wonderful 2009 for all of us!
All the best, Lily
For more information on this blog, please see my ABOUT page or the ARTICLES page
