12 Ideas for Shaking Up 2013

You’ll notice I didn’t use the word “resolution.” I asked some friends about setting New Year’s resolutions and heard responses like, “I don’t do them anymore”; “I still feel guilty about last year’s resolutions”; or “They’re called New Year’s resolutions because they only last through January!” Even if resolutions strike fear in us, it’s the time of year to pause and think about how to make 2013 the year we hope it will be.

I’ve listed my favorite ideas for starting the year with new energy and insight. Each of us is in a different place with unique plans and hopes for the upcoming year. I hope that at least one of these ideas will make you think and help you start the wave of change for 2013.

1. Change one little habit. Know your unconscious habits. Are you more interested in your phone than in the people around you, or do you instinctively start to answer before you even understand the question? In The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg makes the case that changing just one habit in our routine can create momentum for different results. Find one small habit that you will change in your routine and see the impact it can make.

2. List what’s in your control with your favorite frustration. Identify your top frustrations that get most of your attention. Then, make two lists: 1) what’s in your control and, 2) what isn’t. Decide how to put your energy into what you can control this year and set aside the rest.

3. Find your options. If you know you want to make a change in your life, list every possible option available to you for taking action as well as the pros and cons of each. Include even the possibilities that don’t seem viable at first. Ask a friend to help you. This exercise can spur new ideas and variations. It can also help you decide that a less than ideal option is actually the best choice.

4. Remember what you loved as a kid. Remember what you love and enjoy! Set aside your grownup self and think back to your definition of fun when you were 10 years old. Painting? Sports? Playing the piano? A friend rediscovered her love for the piano this year by taking lessons again as an adult. It is a source of relaxation and fun that she now shares with her children. We still need fun.

5. Learn something new that scares you just a little. Use this year as an opportunity to learn something totally new. My colleague Marta Steele took a comedy improv class to learn how to think on her feet. Volunteer to be a mentor. Take a cooking class. Do something new to keep you and your life more interesting and a little unpredictable.

6. List 3 things you’ll take off your ‘to do’ list. List the activities you won’t do next year. You can’t do everything and you can’t be everywhere. Learn to say no to something – starting now.

7. How will you serve? My colleague Emily Bennington wrote a great blog on the question you should ask yourself: ‘How will you serve this year?’ This question focuses your energy on how you will serve others and the difference you want to make – not on your own personal measures of success. I think she’s got the right idea.

8. Take one little baby step on your big dream. You’ve heard of ‘taking a bite out of the elephant.’ It’s time to take a nibble. If your dream is big, move one step forward rather than let its enormity keep it out of reach. Start researching your business idea or take that first class on your degree plan. Get started.

9. Do one thing every month totally out of your zone. Decide that every month you will do one thing that the old you wouldn’t do. Go to the museum instead of run errands. Surprise your son by picking him up early for opening day at the ballpark. Ask the new family over for dinner. You’ll be surprised where it may lead.

10. Journal. This is one of the best ways to clear your thoughts. Include what you are grateful for – it’s amazing all that goes unnoticed.

11. Do the domino exercise. List your 5-7 biggest successes from 2012 and then trace every step back to the first domino that started the momentum. Was it from the generosity of others, a risk you took, or an investment that opened new doors? Learn from where the first dominoes started and consider it in your plans for 2013.

12. Find the magic in the ‘normal’ days. This past summer we lost my mother-in-law, Helen Johnson. I look back at the countless visits and holidays, which seemed so ordinary at the time, but are now treasured memories. When my husband was in an accident a few years ago, I prayed for the return of the ‘normal’ days. I hope I always appreciate the normal days in 2013, even more than the remarkable events that often get all of our attention.
It’s a great time to think and dream about 2013. I hope that at least one of these ideas will help get you started on making next year a special year.

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817639 Responseshttp%3A%2F%2Fblog.success.com%2F12-ideas-for-shaking-up-2013%2F12+Ideas+for+Shaking+Up+20132013-01-02+15%3A16%3A26Patti+Johnsonhttp%3A%2F%2Fblog.success.com%2F%3Fp%3D8176 to “12 Ideas for Shaking Up 2013”

1. Atlanta Roofers says:

   June 16, 2013 at 4:55 am

   I don't know what to say. This blog is fantastic. That's not really a really huge statement, but its all I could come up with after reading this. You know so much about this subject. So much so that you made me want to learn more about it. Your blog is my stepping stone, my friend. Thanks for the heads up on this subject.

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2. Anil kumar says:

   May 3, 2013 at 9:24 am

   nice………..

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3. 10 Steps to Make Over Your Mindset and Adjust Your Attitude | Social Connect LLc, says:

   April 30, 2013 at 9:03 am

   [...] Don’t accept being stuck or let fear hold you back. Your success and happiness is an inside-out job that you control. Start with your mindset and attitude and your heart will follow. Here are some additional ideas and suggestions for your mindset makeover. [...]

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4. Chad says:

   February 22, 2013 at 7:37 am

   Developing rituals is really the key to long term success in anything you do.

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5. Darian says:

   February 7, 2013 at 8:02 pm

   I enjoyed reading your post, Patti! I was moved by the last tip. I realized that making a normal day extraordinary and keeping a positive outlook is big help to have a clear mind that is focused to achieving goals. And that's a magic, thanks!

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