Your 2012 Empowered Focus – A New Approach to the New Year Resolution

The New Year has become a time for resolutions and change. Resolutions can include a new goal or something you have always wanted to do. They are personal, unique to you, and perfect for increasing self-empowerment. However, when I listen to others think about their possible resolutions, I sometimes hear, “I should do….” or “last year, I would have….”. These are what I like to call the “shoulda, woulda’s” and they usually do not come from an empowering place. For example, the belief of what you should do usually comes from someone else – not very self-empowering. The would have focuses on the past and on something that cannot be changed. We often feel bad about our decisions when they are not authentic to what we really want or when we are reminded that they cannot be changed. In addition, any goal that starts out with an obligation or feelings of guilt can set you up for failure and disappointment.

One of the ways to avoid the shoulda, woulda pattern is to change from the traditional resolution approach to an empowered focus for the year. This process looks at your goals and life from a macro view. It gives you the opportunity to take some time, step back, look at the bigger picture and choose something that resonates with your authentic self. By looking at from a wider lens, it may also shed some light on the interconnectivity between some of your goals and help you to see smaller steps that will allow you to make progress toward your goals.

To find your 2012 Empowered Focus start with three powerful questions:

1. What do I need to give myself the permission to do this year? This may seem obvious at first. “Of course, I give myself the permission to spend more time with my family”, you say. But do you? I have found that our belief system about what you can or cannot do sets the stage for goal attainment. Self-empowerment starts with granting yourself the permission that you have the right to something. Believe it or not, your beliefs may be the only thing standing in the way of your goals. Proudly declare that you have a right to spend more time with family and friends – it is important to you.

2. When have I seen and/or when do I see this issue? Get specific and write about the related incidents that have happened over the past few months. When have you not allowed yourself the opportunity or time to focus on this area in your life? Chronicle your thoughts including past excuses, ways of running away, and negative feelings that you have toward this issue. When do you put this issue on the back burner? Is it when you are stressed? Is it when you are enjoying something else? Is it when others “need” you?

3. What am I going to CHOOSE to do about it? You may choose to do nothing – after exploring these questions, it may not be the priority it originally seemed to be or you may realize that you are not ready to tackle it. That is ok. All of our areas of improvement and development are interrelated and interconnected. Your choice may be to spend the first half of the year just being more observant of the issue – you may choose to be more committed to journaling and understanding the issue. That is a resolution – that is doing something! Or, you might think about putting a plan together of small things that will make a huge difference by the end of the year.

4. Start the questions over again if you are not 100% completely passionate and sold on this empowered focus.

Keep the focus broad and get specific on the weekly and daily “to-do” items. They may be small at first – that is great! Start slowly, build momentum and make sure that each to-do item is relative to your macro empowerment focus. Experiment with it, inquire about it, write about it, and learn more about it – in all aspects of your life.

By Tammy Jordan, Founder and Principal at Leader Consulting Group