Have you written down your new year’s resolutions yet?
It’s that time of the year again when we start to think about everything that happened, everything we went through and all the actions that we did not take. We then try to come up with a new plan and we feel full of hope. It’s almost as if we get a second chance every year.
While many people think new year’s resolutions are silly, the truth is that taking the time to reflect upon your life choices cannot be such a bad thing.
Whether you are planning on going to the gym, becoming a vegan, stop smoking, getting a second job, buying a house or start hiking, the most important thing is that you are taking the time to create positive change.
We tend to be so distracted with our life situations, losing ourselves in our routines, and sometimes forgetting who we really are what we stand for. That’s what the new year provides: an opportunity for change, to find ourselves and, maybe, to make bold decisions.
Maybe we should create the habit of having honest conversations with ourselves more often. After all, reflecting upon our lives is a powerful practice.
If I had one advice that could change your life in the new year, it would be to trust your gut. This might seem like a strange and silly advice, but so many leaders have talked about this such as Steve Jobs (former CEO and co-founder of Apple), Howard Schultz (CEO of Starbucks) and Oprah (I think she does not need an introduction). They all have said the same thing: that sometimes in life you have to trust your gut feeling, even if it doesn’t make much sense to the rest of the world. In other words, you have to believe that your intuition knows what is best for you.
Have you ever followed your intuition to go somewhere and you ended up meeting someone special or having an interaction that you really needed? Maybe that was not a coincidence.
When I was in business management school a while ago (don’t ask me why) our professor started talking about intuition. Everyone in the classroom was intrigued. Why on earth would a university professor at a business management school talk about gut feelings?
The professor said that “in business, just as in life, sometimes we have to trust our gut.” As Oprah describes it, “it’s really more of a feeling than a voice - a whispery sensation that pulsates just beneath the surface of your being. All animals have it. We’re the only creatures that deny and ignore it.”
Sometimes our brains cannot see all the different aspects of a situation. Other times a situation makes sense in your brain, but that little voice inside you tells you there’s something wrong with it.
As Steve Jobs said, “your intuition knows who you are trying to become.” It somehow connects to the whole of creation. That’s the message that our professor was trying to convey during class, and what all these leaders have been telling us all along. So why not trust it?
Do you feel like going back to school? Do you feel that it’s time to be single again? Do you feel that you should change jobs or find a new career path? Do you feel that you should travel or live in a different country?
Maybe now is as good time as any to face your fears and do it!
So when you sit down to write your new year’s resolutions this year, don’t simply write what you think you need to do - listen to your gut! Have a genuine talk with yourself, and take a leap of faith. Have a fantastic 2015 everyone!