By Leo Babauta
What will you make of the blank slate that is 2014?
What can you create? What changes can you make stick?
These are the questions to ask ourselves right now. Imagine a year from now, as we’re finishing 2014 — what new habits will you have then?
You can take the usual approach and make a bunch of New Year’s resolutions, and fail at pretty much all of them. Or you can focus on one habit a month, and use proven techniques to make them stick.
At the end of a year, you’ll have 12 new habits. Even if only half of those habits managed to stick, your life would be greatly changed.
May I make a few suggestions?
- Aim for long-term changes that will have compound interest over the years.
- Make one change at a time for maximum effectiveness.
- Find accountability to help yourself stick to the changes.
- One per month means 12 changes for the year.
Here are the 12 changes I suggest for 2014:
- All-Day Mindfulness – in January we’re having a Month of Mindfulness in the Sea Change Program, focusing on
- Unprocrastination
- Exercise
- Meditation
- Self-compassion
- Wake early
- Declutter
- Let go of expectations
- Simple living
- Productivity
- Improve relationships
- Contentment
We’ll be working on these, btw, one at a time in the Sea Change Program.
I hope you year is truly amazing, my friends.