Dawning of a new day & a new year.

What’s a new year without a new resolution?

I’ve been resistant to make any public declarations of mine as there is so much that I have to change this year that I was already feeling the “resistance”. (That’s one of the things I have to work on).

There are many bloggers whose opinion and insights I admire so when, one by one, they published blogs about what they were going to do differently or wanted to accomplish this year,  I was inspired by their honesty and motivated by the tactics they shared.

My “resistance” was pretty strong though. I had too much to lose in terms of pride and financial well-being if I didn’t find the power in me to see my resolutions through.

Hack Your Life

The tipping point came when my friend, Fabrice Calando wrote about his project: The Hack Your Life Project.

This is a brief description in his own words:

It will consist of a series of challenges that I’ll take throughout the year (52 challenges to be exact).The goal will be to get me comfortable with change and uncertainty and will push me to not accept the “system” as is…Each week, I’ll set out a challenge and report on the previous.

What’s particularly cool and very “social” about this project is that, although it’s meant to be personal, he invites us to follow him and even suggest challenges. How brave is that?

 

12 Accomplishments for 12 Months

While Fabrice has chosen to embark on a new challenge each week, Jacqueline Carly of Fitarella.com has created a 12in12 project where she will choose 12 things, one for each month, that she wants to accomplish and be able to look back at the end and be proud that she achieved them. Here’s how she describes it:

Pick one thing to do consistently every day for a month. It can be something new you want to try, something you want to get better at or something you want to see if you can live without. Commit to doing this thing every day for that month no matter what, even when you don’t want to, even when it hurts, even when it sucks. The practice is the reward. Once the month is up, you’ll start your next thing. You may or may not want to continue the previous month’s practice longer if it’s working for you, however, you still need to introduce something new for the new month.

Here’s some suggestions she gives as possible goals:

Any physical activity (running, yoga, push-ups etc)

Volunteer

Write

Wake up 30-60 minutes earlier

Unplug by 7PM (Like that one)

Three Little “Big” Words

Around six years ago, Chris Brogan began challenging people to…”forego the idea of a resolution, and instead, to come up with 3 words that will help you define your goals and experiences for the coming year.”

Since then, many people have taken him up on the challenge. This year, as usual, I’ve read the many blog posts giving the author’s word selections but being contrarian and defensive, I didn’t participate.

But this morning, I read David Finch’s 3 word post. Coming on the heels of reading Fabrice’s article, I knew I had to face my demons and look the lizard in the eye. I have to stop fearing failure and embrace it if it does happen.

So, I will follow Fabrice’s “Hack Your Life Project” and I will find something, however trivial, to accomplish each month.

And I will choose three words to guide me throughout the year.

Create

- Both in the meaning of producing more content and being more imaginative.

Focus

- I’ve immersed myself in social media for the last couple of years. I’ve read the blogs, subscribed to the RSS feeds, chatted, commented and webinared myself to distraction. It’s time to leave school and go out into the world and share what I’ve learned. I will focus on just those things that will further my professional goals. Bye bye “angry” birdy.

Balance

- I will give as much attention to nurturing my relationship with family and friends as I do to my passion for social media. I will walk away from the computer, iPad, and iPhone and shake hands, give hugs and share stories with friends – in real life!

Your turn! What strategies do you use to keep you on track with your wish list for the new year?

 

email

About Ray Hiltz

Ray Hiltz is a Social Media Strategist with management roots in restaurant, hotel and performing arts. A strong proponent for the power of collaborative communication and "humanized" digital networking, Ray writes about social media, social business and Google Plus. His clients include hotels, restaurants, consulting firms, entrepreneurs, writers and individuals just trying to make sense of "social". Ray is a popular speaker on Social Media, Social Business and Google+.