Look folks, I’m not a fool. I’m in my mid 30s now, and I’ve done New Years Resolutions just as often as the next person, so what’s different about this year?
The truth is, nothing really. This could very well be just another forgotten pursuit that will dwindle into nothing before Q2 2022 even hits us.
So why bother?
Well, for me, the journey is everything. Every day, I am dreaming about new and existing projects as I work my way through the have-to-dos of the day. After a time of thinking and hoping and not finding the time, I start to feel a bit deflated. At that point, I usually steal time from the grips of slumber and use that time to do something creative. Something fun. Something purely for me.
Thereafter, my heart and soul is once again full. Until the next time it needs to be filled.
This is why, sitting in the hallway of my home at 1AM on Christmas Day, I am writing this post.
I’ve been spending the last few days reading Atomic Habit by James Clear. It was a book I listened to in audiobook form earlier this year and really enjoyed. I finally bought myself a copy so I can apply it to changing habits in the new year, and here we are.
This year, I am not going to create a list of things I want to accomplish and then try to fit them around my already busy schedule. Instead, I’m going to try and build a new version of me.
The most effective way to change your habits is to focus not on what you want to achieve, but on who you wish to become.
James Clear, Atomic Habits
This is the first piece that I would like to focus on in this post. We set goals because we aspire to be a specific type of person who does those things. Instead of setting the goal, I’d like to set a vision of who I wish to become.
Based on the book, there are two steps:
- Decide the type of person you want to be.
- Prove it to yourself with small wins.
Of course, sticking to that Number 2 will be the challenge, but we’ll get to those in later posts. For today, I am simply looking to set direction on the type of person I want to be.
Therefore, based on the above, Yuy Ren is:
- An author of YA Fantasy and children’s picture books
- A health conscious person who enjoys cooking healthful meals
- An adept BI Consultant
- A coworker who can communicate well with her francophone colleagues
That is who Yuy Ren would like to be. Of course, I understand that in order to grow as a person, there needs to be a willingness to change oneself. That means that although the above is my current aspirational identity, it doesn’t mean that it won’t change as I continue down this journey.
That’s all for today.
Let’s begin.