Whether we call them , resolutions, commitments or something else, our goals for the New Year are always difficult to achieve. Reasons vary, but resolving to better oneself in any way is always a struggle. Sometimes the weight of the previous year can keep us from committing to new goals or resolutions. But one can take inspiration to move forward from a common phrase we’ve heard from many sources, from our parents urging us to do chores to advertising slogans: just do it.
As cliche and and nagging as that phrase may sound, there’s something to it - the very act of doing anything to better yourself, right here and now, is rewarding, because doing it means you’ve already cleared a huge psychological hurdle. It’s 2018, and regardless of what your New Years goals or resolutions are, doing something towards achieving them is infinitely better than doing nothing. Below are some motivational points to keep in mind, to get you doing something, anything, that will get you on your feet and out of the doldrums that inevitably come with doing nothing at all.
1 . We all face obstacles and failure.
This is a given with anyone in life. No one on this planet Earth has ever been given a completely free ride, be they rich or poor, powerful or vulnerable, or of any ethnicity, gender, or other human identity. The Buddha himself encapsulated this in his first Noble Truth, ‘life is suffering.’ Everyone has suffered, even if their life looks perfect from the outside.
One secret to success in any endeavor, no matter how big or small, is not to be deterred by failure. What we do with failure will ultimately determine if we succeed overall. If you fear failure, don’t. We are not ultimately determined by our success, but what we do in the face of failure.
2. Think about the positives of what you are doing.
Again, if you are afraid of failure, don’t be. Failure is not the end of the world, because you are ultimately working towards something positive. Keep in mind the benefits of your efforts. Even the smallest success is progress towards your goals. Write your successes down and keep them handy. If you ever find yourself in need of motivation to stick to what you’re doing, refer to this list.
3. Doing the work is more important than the result.
Regardless of whether you have specific numbers attached to the resolutions you want to achieve, such as “lose X amount of weight” or “meditate X times a week,” it’s important to keep in mind that doing something towards achieving these goals is beneficial in and of itself, even if you don’t succeed as wildly as you want to. Anything can be progress if you have the right mindset.
In one of the ancient scriptures, Bhagavad Gita, Krishna imparts this very same advice to Arjuna when he tells him not to be attached to the fruits of his actions. Doing the work is more important than the result. In many ways, this is true - so what if you don’t lose as much weight as you want to? If you lost any weight at all, it’s an improvement.
Self improvement often takes us in directions we don’t expect to go. But the real thing to improve as we head into 2018 is the tendency to be an object at rest, like Newton’s First Law of Motion states. No matter what kind of motion you want to make, the first, most important step is to start making that motion! Moving will certainly lead you to a better place than if you just sit still.
Wishing you all a very happy 2018!
Phillip Miner writes his own spirituality blog, Light Club. He also writes on topics of spirituality for publications such as Hinduism Today.
