Every Day Should Be New Year's Day

​"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot." - Michael Altshuler

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

​[2 Minute Read or Listen Below]

New Path Productivity LLC · New Path Perspective Blog: Every Day Should Be New Year's Day

It seems like January 1st gets all the glory. We throw big parties, when we aren't in the middle of a pandemic at least, and many of us delay working on our goals so we can call them our new year's resolutions.

But, we don't need the start of a new calendar year as permission to take action on our goals. Believe it or not, there is nothing magical about January 1st.
 
When I say 'every day should be new year's day,' I mean, every day is a fresh start — a blank page. Every day is a new chance to establish and continue working toward our goals.
 
Quite often, we like the idea of achieving something more than we like actually achieving it. We have big dreams but spend very little time working on plans to accomplish them.
 
How many times have we abandoned goals because of a single day's setback or an unexpected struggle? Instead of looking to the next day as a clean slate to start again, we give up, and we wait until the following January 1st to begin again.
 
It doesn't have to be that way — the choices we make every day bring us closer to or take us further away from our goals.
 
The five steps of The Productive Environment Process™ will help you formulate a plan to follow through on your goals. The steps sound simple but don't underestimate their impact.

1. State your vision. Be very specific. What will you feel, see, and hear when you achieve your goal? If it seems overwhelming to define what you want, perhaps begin by identifying what you don't want.
2. Identify your obstacles. What could prevent you from accomplishing your vision? Whether you have control over it or not, include them all. You cannot devise a workaround strategy if you haven't considered the obstacle.
3. Commit your resources. Where can you get the support you need to achieve your vision? Think of the who, what, when, where, and how available to you.
4. Design and execute your plan. Develop a plan to overcome your obstacles and utilize your resources. Pre-determine how you will respond to obstacles, making them less likely to derail you. Give intentional thought to your resources to ensure their best use.
5. Sustain your success. All plans need a periodic course correction. Circumstances and our goals change. Don't get discouraged. When things don't go as planned, re-examine, and repeat steps 1 - 4 as many times as needed.

 
Every tomorrow is our opportunity for a fresh start. Don’t wait until January 1st to begin again.
 
Make a fresh start by learning your Productive Environment™ Score at www.newpathpro.com/scorecard.

The Productive Environment Process™ and Productive Environment™ ©2005-2020 Productive Environment Institute | Used under license to Kathy Muzik