Having spent an extensive time on holiday with my mom, and having observed some of her habits and character traits has got me thinking...

Where do we come from?

How do we form our habits?

How willing are you to accept change?

When do we learn?

Do I react to situations the same way as she does?

Are her perceptions of events the same as mine?

What truths is she holding on to?

Are her idiosyncrasies the same as mine?

Do I overreact the same as she does?

Was I shocked at some of her habits, because I recognize the same ones in myself?

Why is it that at my age, she still manages to push the right buttons to irritate the .... out of me? And I manage to rise to the situation every single time?

These are just some of the thoughts I came back from holiday with. I was privileged enough to be able to go on holiday and spend time with my friends as well as my mom. And with all our little squabbles and irritations, I am actually sincerely grateful for having had that time to spend with her. I also realized that it is time I changed a few things in my life, even if it is just a perception of things or how I view certain things.

Holiday time

A time to relax, recharge and regroup. Map out your goals and the progress you have made in trying to achieve them.

So how did you fare on those points?

There is no rush to be at a certain place punctually, do x-y-z by lunchtime, or even just show up for work every single day. You can unwind, let your hair down and just be. You now have time to do the things you enjoy doing most.

Granted, to do that for an extended period of time might be detrimental to your bank balance, but it certainly recharges your batteries.

So now, as the new year has begun and you’re possibly armed with a few new resolutions, now is the time to jump into action. Be prepared to take charge and change things. After all, if you keep doing the same things and are expecting a different result, you need a new outlook. You need to change some of those same things in order to get to a different point.

Be pro-active and brave enough to approach things differently. Introduce your changes slowly, but with purpose. And know where it is you want to go. Keep your goal in mind and stay on track, even if you get there by detour or default.

It is pretty easy to fall back into old ways. Those are the things you have done before and seem safe. To change means being brave enough to try new things, get out of your comfort zone and do unfamiliar things. It is far easier to sit back, resign yourself to the fact that it is too hard to change and give up on your resolutions. The bad part comes when you now feel guilty that you didn’t pull through with your intentions to change things. It is definitely easier to sit back and give up than to stand up, change things around and go a different direction to what you are used to.

The saying about the teacher appearing when the pupil is ready is very apt. You will recognize the need for change but you will only actually go through with it when you are ready and committed to change.

So if your New Year’s resolutions have not worked out, do not sit around and waste your time feeling guilty, rather start to change small things on a daily basis. Take a different route to work, buy a different vegetable, greet your neighbour when you meet him coming home, ….. The year has only just started and if you have already given up on your resolution, then it wasn’t a very good one to start off with. The year is still ahead of you. You have already learnt something. Keep your goal in mind and keep improving. If you think you have failed, dust yourself off, and think about what you have just learnt about yourself. Every failure is a lesson worth learning. Keep failing forward. Change something and go after what it is you really want. Change your life to meet your dreams.

 #KeepGettingBetterAtBeingBetter. #BeProactive