We’re in the month of New Year’s resolutions.
Yeah… ok… it’s the end of the month.
But hey… I guess my resolution WASN’T to write emails that are timely! 😆
But it’s close enough that resolutions might still be fresh in your mind… if you made them.
Maybe they’re continuing to provide forward momentum.
Althought stats tell us only 8% of those who make resolutions succeed. 😲
Or maybe you’re like me and not a big resolutions kind of person.
Still, the new year has a time-for-a-refresh vibe to it.
A good time for refocusing.
Did you know? … The idea of making resolutions has been around for much of human history.
The Babylonians, who were breathing in the sweet 4000BC air, held new year celebrations.
At a special part of the events, they’d make promises to repay their debts and return borrowed items — kinda like making resolutions.
Their strong motivator was:
They were convinced the Gods would be rather grumpy with them if they didn’t keep them.
This helped them stay focused.
Fun fact:
Their start of the year was at the spring equinox.
It’s when the sun is right above the equator. Day and night are the same length. This happens in March each year.
It was a super-important time of the year because crops had to be planted then.
If they slacked off — or something went wrong with the harvest — it could mean severe hardship. Even death.
Like the Babylonians’ “prods from the gods”…
We too need our own “Why?”
This is the purpose that drives you forward.
And we grease the slide by making sure we also take care of the “How?”
How is sorted out by planning.
Now, if you’re in the “already broke my resolutions” crowd…
Don’t worry… you’re not alone. And all hope isn’t lost.
Just get clear on your “why?” first
Why are you a freelance illustrator? Coach? Writer?
What is the purpose behind what you do?
And a handy tip to keep things manageable… limit your number of goals — resolutions if you like — to 1, 2 or 3 at most.
Taking baby steps by starting with smaller goals… can provide wins that help you confidently move on to ticking off bigger things.
I tell you what… with all this goals stuff going around in my head…
I appreciate having a group of peers who I can share them with and be accountable to.
If you’ve not got accountability… I strongly recommend it.
But don’t wait for it to come to you. Maybe just share with a friend and ask them to check up on you.
One of my freelancing goals for this year I’ve already sorted out! And am feeling pretty good about that.
It was simply getting clear on my “Why?”
(Maybe I’ll talk about that some other time.)
Next for me is working out the how.
This is already involving some shuffling. And killing off some existing plans.
But I’m fine with that.
I feel more focused already. 🧐
If you’re wondering about how to successfully keep your resolutions…
This 4-minute clip — “How To Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions” — might help:
Have a great rest of the week!
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Chris Milham