Forget Your New Year’s Resolution!
Published: January 6, 2014
Wow! We’re definitely having you back! You give networking the concreteness that too often eludes the other “experts”.
Dean Vera, Assistant Dean, Rutgers Business School, New Jersey
Yep, that’s right. I said forget it! Seriously, how many New Years Resolutions have you truly kept all year? For me its ZERO. Resolutions get us going in the right direction… we join the gym, pick up a healthy eating book, start planning a vacation, or sign up for classes… all of which are great.
BUT to truly make 2014 the most amazing year ever, I encourage you to forget your New Year’s Resolution, and instead create an Intention for 2014. Instead of thinking about what you want to change because the calendar year has officially changed, think rather of what do you intend to accomplish this year… what do you intend to be?
Your intention could span many areas of your life (such as work, money, health, family, or personal/spiritual growth) or just one singular area. If you could completely focus every decision on one intention for the year, what would that be? Here are some examples:
- Work: “I intend to work a job that is fulfilling”
- Money: “I intend to make money doing something I absolutely love to do”
- Health: “I intend to be at my peak health this year”
- Family: “I intend to spend quality time with those I love, making great memories together”
- Personal/Spiritual Growth: “I intend to meditate and perform mindfulness practices to find inner peace”
When you wake up everyday, look yourself in the mirror and say “I intend to:_______ because I’m a Rockstar!” and start your day aligned to your intention. Through the day, say the intention out loud and keep in your thoughts. At night, take time to think about what you may have done that day to work towards your intention. This type of daily practice will become part of your daily ritual, and soon you wont even think about it as your saying it. And since it’ll be on your mind all day long, you’ll find that you’ll begin to change your behavior to keep true to this intention that is at the forefront of your mind.
If a friend asks you to go running, and your intention is around health… think to yourself as you make your decision: “Will this help me live in my intention of being at my peak health this year?” (the answer is yes, go!)
If you get into bed after a hectic day and your intention is around personal/spiritual growth… take 5 minutes to do a breathing exercise to calm your mind and live in your intention of meditating and performing mindfulness practices to find inner peace.
Having an intention for 2014 is a way to ensure that every action, every decision is bound by a certain intention… making decisions or taking actions with this intention in mind will surely put you ahead of the pack in terms of achieving what you truly desire this year.
My intention for 2014 is to actively give more than I receive. I asked myself “Did I give…?” and then I wrote this blog so I could share this with all of you. And look at the goodness that came of that! 🙂
Choose an intention, and make 2014 the best year yet!
Rock On!
-Jaymin
Jaymin@networklikearockstar.com
Jaymin J. Patel is an author, speaker, and coach who is absolutely amazing at helping individuals build the confidence and communication skills needed to network like a Rockstar