New Year, Same Me?

By Ixchel Perez

Eagle View Reporter

The New Year begins and perhaps even a new you rebirths with it, or in some cases, perhaps not. Our minds tend to blindly trust that time will mold us into more brilliant versions of ourselves, but when counting only 365 days in a year, you soon feel smothered by the realization that time is not always your friend.

Ask yourself if that thirst for success has been quenched yet? This guilty feeling creeps through each of us when we repeat empty promises rather than cultivating our desired life. There is no perfect time; there is just time and what you do with it.

I assume the most common setback is wanting to do so much with little to no knowledge about how or where to start. Let last year’s unfulfilled productivity be the motive for embarking onto this year’s influential habits.

Amazing, as described in “Atomic Habits” written by James Clear, dives into the making of drastic changes in our life that inevitably are produced by small modifications from our daily routines. Clear focuses on establishing our identity and predicting how that person would behave, emphasizing our visionary influence. Who are you? Who is your desired outcome? What current habits are shaping you for the better or for the worse?

Clear argues the power of 1% improvement every day and how its effects are of the same value as deteriorating 1% every day, “A single decision is easy to dismiss, but when we repeat 1% errors day after day by replicating poor decisions, duplicating tiny mistakes, and rationalizing little excuses, our small choices compound into toxic results.”

Now that your identity has been established, what steps does it require to reach and become that person? The process must gradually inspire us; making it obvious, attractive, easy and satisfying in order to avoid waiting for motivation.

Say your goal is to be more studious. Start with placing your books in plain view so it becomes obvious. Place only books of interest to have it be more attractive, hide distractions and commit to reading short, timed sessions to make it easy. Lastly, complete your task of studying with a personal reward to leave it be satisfying.

Building discipline is the beginning of producing a realistic goal. When we practice consistency, we are honoring not only ourselves, but those that trust in us. Sitting with your mistakes and understanding what about them holds you back from achievement will increase your chances of growth. Develop those mistakes into lessons to help guide you into rightful thinking and actions, there is no learning without first experiencing failure.

We must fight to believe that we are capable and very much deserving of what it takes to receive those life altering experiences. Otherwise, you pay the price of becoming your greatest enemy or your greatest supporter.

Bring back to life what you thought had been dead, re-create your forgotten interests and discover new passions because they will be more rewarding than you could have envisioned. Each day is a remembrance to truly live and thrive rather than just survive.

There are hidden parts of yourself begging to be brought to life, asking for enthusiasm and commitment. We are our own fatality as much as our own awakening, our greatest shame would be undermining the power we hold from our very hands.

Starting anywhere is more promising than not starting at all; otherwise our hopes will become our most haunting ghosts. Your fear is meant to be felt, it is meant to inspire you to create motion. Is your fear staying the same person or is the fear of becoming someone new more terrifying? Time is incredibly expensive; it is the one thing we will never take back, so make value of how you will continue to spend it.