New Year Resolutions And How To Commit To Them
Some of my friends have asked me if what I learned in 2021 means resolutions will be back in 2022.
So, will resolutions be back? Yes…and no…
NO, in the sense that…
I don’t think I should be living my life any differently in 2022 than I would in any other year. I find it a little ridiculous to think that just because we’re in a new year, people will suddenly become a better version of themselves. Why not in March, June, or even December? To me, it seems like many people want to make a drastic change in their lives but use the new year as an excuse to procrastinate.
In my opinion, this kind of mentality prevents one from taking ownership of their lives. It transfers that ownership and responsibility to a mysterious alter ego that is everything you CAN and WANT to be, but at the same time, aren’t. Your “potential” is nothing if you don’t cash in on it.
YES, in the sense that…
I am working towards several things in 2022 and can expect and hope for certain outcomes. Over the past few days, I’ve been thinking a lot about Jocko Willink’s New Year Strategy. For those of you who don’t know, Jocko is a retired Navy SEAL commander whose podcasts on life, leadership, and discipline have made a profound impact on my life. I HIGHLY recommend you check out his channel if you need an extra perspective on life. You wont regret it! (Thanks Jocko)
In case you don’t want to sit through his entire video, here are some takeaways that I resonated with, listed in some kind of relevant order:
- Ask yourself WHO do you want to be? WHAT do you want to do with your life?
- Ask yourself WHY do you want to be this person or accomplish this mission?
- Explain to yourself WHY this needs to happen until it becomes a part of you
- Strategic thought allows you to make the right tactical actions to achieve your goals
- You can’t win a war (strategic) without winning the small battles (tactical)
- People never achieve their strategic goals because they keep losing the tactical battles
- Don’t die the death of a thousand cuts
- Discipline is rooted in the truth we tell ourselves and discipline delivers long-term strategic success
YES, so what now?
I spent the past few years reflecting on WHO I want to be and WHAT I want to be doing with my life. And over the last few months, I’ve convinced myself on WHY I want to accomplish these things. (More on this later)
Now, it’s time to figure out the “HOW”. To that end, I need to think about my life more strategically and fill it with intention. Yes, tactical battles are important too, but I believe those will come naturally and are meant to be dealt with on a shorter term, case-by-case basis.
In 2022, I want to be more intentional about…
- Developing my career in something I am truly passionate about
- Getting a change of environment and putting myself in a place that invigorates me
- Regaining self-confidence in my health and feeling more sharp and energetic
- Becoming better at and playing more golf
- Sharing who I am and what I care about and enjoy doing
- Volunteering my time to help and mentor others
- Taking more breaks and not feeling bad about it
It’s funny how having no resolutions in 2021 ultimately led to my self-discovery. I think that forcing myself to just chill out for such a long time acted as a detox for my mind. Once I got past the withdrawals, I had the mental and emotional bandwidth to dwell on the things that shaped my life and really mattered to me. I allowed myself to gravitate towards people and ideas that fascinated me like a child and satisfied my intellectual curiosity. As a result, I’m more sure about the path ahead of me than ever before and I am excited to see how I’ve manifested my “resolutions”.
Over the next few weeks and months, I plan on diving deeper into WHO I want to be, WHAT I want to be doing, and WHY I want to accomplish these things. I’m excited to share how this self-discovery is the basis for an investment thesis I am developing centered on “Human and Environmental Wellness”.
Stay tuned for more!
