Everyone makes New Year's resolutions-myself included. Joining the gym and shedding those extra "holiday" pounds, being more discipline, and/or applying yourself more on the job (or looking for a new one) typically fall on the list for many. We all set goals to be a brighter and shinier version of ourselves.
It is all great in January, but by February we are skipping the gym, falling back into our lazy habits, and/or slacking off at work. We say, "You know what I'm a great person and anyone who disagrees can...". Well, you can fill in the rest.
Maybe it is because we shouldn't be thinking of the new year as a way to achieve lofty goals. In reality, a new year just means that yesterday it was 2015 and today it is 2016. Your body doesn't experience some radical change. Your will power isn't suddenly improved. If you were lazy on December 31st there is a good chance that you will be lazy on January 1st. Believe me, I am referencing myself when I say this.
So the real question in the end is, why put off until tomorrow (or next month) what you can do today? Why can't we all get a head start on the new year? Why can't we start being a shinier and brighter version of ourselves right now?!
I have so many goals for Lex Loves Couture, but I do not work on my self-discipline in general, none of them can be achieved. I could binge watch Downton Abbey for hours on end (or Friends, or Law and Order: SVU for that matter). Why am I not taking that time to tackle the things I need to change or doing things needed to achieve my goals?
So fashionistas, I am pledging to jump start my "New Year's Resolutions" a month early. I think you all should to! What are we waiting for?!
Here a few success mantras that I will tell myself everyday (you can too):
You reap what you sow.
I am not religious, but this biblical verse is just so spot on. The majority of our success is dependent on our own actions. If we do not put in the effort we will not succeed. There are just no if's, and's, or but's about it.
No days off.
When I look at the successful people in my life, they all have one major thing in common. They are always on. If they have a great body, they never have a cheat day. If they have an awesome career they hustled their way to get there and never let up. They never take a day off and never get complacent. They are full throttle always .
Stop thinking about all the ways you are going to fail.
The only way you will fail is by not trying. Coco Chanel once said, "Success is most often achieved by those who don't know that failure is inevitable." We have to stop thinking about all of the ways we could fail. The only way we will truly succeed is by pushing past those mental road blocks. Say it with me fashionistas, "WE WILL NOT FAIL!"
Use yourself as your measure of success.
Whether it is weight loss or career, the only person you should be measuring yourself up against is you. How have YOU improved? How far have YOU come? Be like a horse in a race with blinders on. They are focused on the finish line and nothing else. We should do the same. We cannot compare ourselves to others.