Hey guys! Happy Lunar New Year!
One good thing about being in Asia is we always get two new years every year.
So if the first one didn’t work out quite well, well, we always get second chances.
The reason why the New Year is so significant is because it symbolizes “a new transition.”
We transit from our old ways of living to embracing new lifestyles, new mindsets, new hopes.
It’s a chance for us to start over again
and so we make these little tiny New Year’s resolutions, hoping for the best.
I wanna get fit. I wanna lose weight. I’m gonna work out three times a week. Hit the gym.
Get organized. Wake up early in the morning.
And that is exactly why it’s usually not that easy ‘cos it requires “change.”
And that is why I wanna share with you 3 things you can do today to start off the new year differently.
First, get excited about something.
Not just any thing but something that produces good in your life.
Excitement is the fuel, the driving force that makes us do what we do.
Like I got a friend who gets turned on by reading papers.
Like honestly… reading papers.
He’s always reading papers even when he’s out having lunch with friends.
I don’t get it! But he loves it.
You see, when you’re really into something,
it doesn’t mater how hard it is, doesn’t matter how people perceive it.
You do it because you love it.
On the contrary, if you lack interest in something you might not even do it if people pay you to.
So get excited!
Find a new hobby. Start reading. Cycling. Working out. Do yoga. Dance. Calligraphy. Photography. Not selfies.
Set a new goal. Start a new online business. Start a YouTube channel. Meet 1,000 people. Read 100 books.
Call your parents. Does that count?
Travel to places you’ve never been. Do things you’ve never done. Get excited!
And if you already are… stay excited.
It’s never too much to say that excitement is the seasoning of life.
Second, find and correct one shortcoming.
It only takes one rotten apple to spoil the whole barrel.
Same thing, it only takes one mistake to mess up your day, your week, your month, your year.
I’m not intimidating you.
Say you’re a good citizen. You abide by the law, every single one of them.
But for just one time, just once in a lifetime you accidentally run through a red light.
Now it doesn’t matter how good your records were.
Once you’ve crossed the line, you’re gonna pay for it. A big fat fine.
Say you’re as healthy as a horse in every single aspect.
All except for one tiny little issue with your rising cholesterol level.
There is no pain, no aching, no imminent sickness.
But now you’re prone to getting blood clots in your arteries which potentially could lead to cardiac diseases
which by the way, is no longer a minor issue.
You see, all it takes is just one.
One mistake, one neglected problem, one accident, one shortcoming to ruin everything else that is perfect, or was perfect.
And by mentioning this, we’re not just referring to your safety or health issues.
Moreover, we’re also referring to your character, personality, relationships, and ways of living.
So to start up fresh for the new year.
Try to look down deep in yourself
and find that one sneaky, hidden shortcoming that has the potential to bring you down, and annihilate it!
Here’s what I recommend you to do.
Write down on a piece of paper or on a white board.
Put it up on a wall so that you see it every time you pass by. That serves as a reminder.
And do take note that this takes time.
It’s a gradual process.
So push but don’t rush yourself. Or else you’ll wind up feeling battered.
If you have a quick temper. Write it down put it up on the wall,
somewhere where only you see unless you wanna show the world, I don’t have a problem with that.
Every time you see the note on the wall.
Tell yourself, “today I’m not gonna lose it. I am going to stay in control.”
And if you managed to keep your cool for the entire day, well, good for you!
Start again with 3 days. A little bit harder but on the foundations of your previous success.
This time I bet you’re gonna be feeling better about yourself.
And the chance of achieving is gonna be much better.
This time if you nail it again. Challenge yourself with a week.
It’s about taking small simple steps every day
before making a truly immense difference which might have freaked you out in the first place.
It’s hard to say, “I’ll never smoke or drink again.” But it’s never too hard to not do it for a day.
If you can make it last for a day then three days won’t seem so far-fetched.
If you can make it for 3 days, then a week seems like a reasonable challenge.
And sooner than you think. You’re set free.
But it all starts with pinning down that one shortcoming to start with.
So to remind you again. All it takes is just one shortcoming to ruin it all. So dig it out and correct it.
Number three, instill a good habit.
Quoting Will Durant, “We are what we repeatedly do.”
And if excitement is what gets us started then habit is what keeps us going.
While it’s important to break bad habits, it’s also very important to instill good ones.
Wake up an hour early each day.
Read before going to bed.
Exercise 30 minutes a day.
Stop phubbing.
Smile. Think positive. Talk constructively.
Eat healthy. I said… eat healthy.
Name a list of the things you can do and at least stick to one.
According to the University College London, forming a habit can take a minimum of 18 to 254 days, depending on what the habit is.
So in the process of forming a habit, it’s really important to stay excited about it!
Taking myself for example,
I always remind myself how many people might be influenced by these videos that I make
and that helps me get through the times that I feel really worn out when I’m making them.
So, three things to do for the new year.
First, get excited about something. Something good. Second, find and correct one shortcoming. Third, instill a good habit.
And that’s about it for today. Happy New Year to all of you. See you guys next year!
Peace!
[Music]