The phrase New Year, New You is one we hear bandied about this time every year. It's often used by companies that are trying to sell you on the idea that buying their product as you enter the new year will produce a "new you". If only it were that simple... Creating a "new you" requires more than just purchasing a new product, and it definitely requires more than simply crossing over into a new arbitrary date on the calendar.
If you want 2021 to include a "new you", then it's time to follow Michael Jackson's advice - Start with the man (or woman) in the mirror. To create the new you you must realize that in order to get something new, you have to become something new. Remember that doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity.
Tips on creating a new you:
1) Identify the You You Want to Be.
Most people wander aimlessly through life because most people fail to identify what they want their life to look like. Doing this takes a lot of self-reflection because it’s so personal and unique to every individual. Not everybody has the same desires in life. Some people want to be billionaires, some want to just be able to retire comfortably. Some people want a big family, some people want to stay single. The key is to ignore what society deems successful and focus on what you really want out of YOUR life.
To do this, spend a few hours writing down 50 things that you want, or want to accomplish over the next 10 years. Once you have your list compiled spend a day or two visualizing what you will need to do to begin getting the things on the list checked off. Note – this is not a one-time exercise; the truly successful will do this every day.
2) Change your “Story”
We all have a story that we tell ourselves. “People like me don’t get ahead in life”, “This economy is the reason I’m not successful”, “Nobody want’s my product”, and on and on we go. Think about those statements, do you ever find yourself reciting similar ones in your mind? Be honest. We all do! I was the worst offender of this. In 2006 I began my career as a salesperson working as an advertising Account Executive for a local AM radio station (keep in mind, it was 2006). I had recently moved to a small, tightknit town in Indiana called Terre Haute. I had no sales training or skills; I didn’t know a soul, and more detrimental, nobody knew me. I struggled for a year and a half to make any sales. I blamed my circumstances for my results, and to make myself feel better, I told myself the stories from above. Those stories made me feel better, but they didn’t help me sell better. It wasn’t until I met a true professional in the advertising sales industry named Michael Tate that I began to rewrite my story. He showed me that my results were not due to external reasons, they were a direct result of my attitude and my actions. From that moment everything changed for me. I was now on the path toward achieving my full potential. Changing our stories will make the following tips work. Until the story we tell ourselves changes, nothing else matters.
3) Daily Habits
John Bytheway sums this up perfectly, "Inch by inch, it's a cinch - Yard by yard, life is hard". Giant leaps forward are few and far between. Start your journey to a "new you" by doing the daily habits that will create the you you want to be.
-Example: If you want the "new you" to be more financially healthy, start a daily habit of investing a small amount of money. Don't start investing amounts of money that hurt, start by investing amounts that you won’t miss.
-Example 2: If you want the "new you" to be in better physical shape, start a daily habit of eating cleaner and exercise. Sounds simple, doesn't it? It is so long as your new daily habits are ones you can realistically stick to. Do not start some crazy restrictive diet and overly difficult exercise regimen, start by developing a nutrition plan and exercise program that fits your likes and lifestyle. Creating a "new you" will take time.
It won't happen overnight, consistency is key.
4) Have Checkpoints
Set realistic periodic benchmarks to assess your progress. Change is a marathon, not a sprint. I recommend setting weekly, monthly, and quarterly checkpoints for yourself. Write down where you want to be at each checkpoint and hold yourself accountable. Honestly review yourself at each one. Accomplishing the goal will give you motivation to keep up the discipline, and missing one will give you the chance to adjust the plan.
This list of tips to creating a new you is hardly comprehensive, but this is what I have done to create a new me. They’ve helped me to move myself forward and if I continue to implement them day in and day out 2021 will be different and better than 2020. I haven’t achieved everything that is on my want list, but I’m a lot closer now than I was in 2006, and it’s all because of the techniques above. Stay strong! You can accomplish anything because a person’s potential is unlimited.
If the new you owns a franchise in 2021, please call 866-587-5171 to speak to an Honest Abe Roofing Franchise Advisor. We'll walk you through the process to discovering if an Honest Abe Roofing franchise is right for you.
Let's make 2021, 202WON!