NEW YEAR DECISIONS – the BIG one

Summit of Lone Peak in SLC, UT 11,253 ft and an Awesome HIKE!

 

Happy New Year! 

2011 changed my life.  

I changed my life in 2011.  It was because of the BIG one, that BIG decision I made – Change Your Life.

SOOOOOooooo many Blogs, Tweets, Facebook Posts, and YouTube videos talking about New Years Resolutions right now I decided to go against the grain and call it something else. NEW YEAR DECISIONS!  Very Creative… I Know! 

I assume you think, “Well hey man, it’s already January 4^th, it’s too late now!” 

Guess what?  Setting a goal never had a timeline, just accomplishing your goal does!  So don’t tell me it’s too late.  It’s never been a better time to sit down, all by your lonesome, put pen to paper, and chop out some goals, resolutions, or as I like to call them DECISIONS. 

Each year I open my Journal (which I keep a very regular journal, if not once a week where I write 10 pages at a time, it’s multiple times a week – I encourage this type of behavior, keeps everyone honest) and look back on last year’s goals.  Pretty much all of them are done, it’s amazing.  As you’ve no doubt often heard it said, “A Goal without a Deadline is just a Dream”, to which I like to add, “A Dream without a Deadline is Not a Goal…”, but that just confuses people. 

 

To write the words with your hand on actual paper is a bit different than typing it out. 

 

Once on real paper it’s UN-DELETABLE, whereas on your desktop it can be lost by a power surge.  Some may argue a Journal could be lost in a house fire, so I keep mine in a safe place called a fire proof safe, but that’s because I don’t have currency to fill the safe with….yet.  Goal #114

Within the Journal writing and Goal Setting I like to break it up into the 5-Quadrants:

1. Spiritual
2. Mental
3. Physical
4. Emotional
5. Financial

I also break it up into 3 Categories from there:

1. Personal
2. Family
3. Business

I really like drawing pictures of me succeeding as well (fat body = slender; late sleeper = eating a worm), if not cutting and pasting a VISON BOARD, which can really take things over the top! 

jason Hewlett Vision Board Nov. 2011

 

Once I have jotted down ideas, concepts, and dreams I can now establish the goals with positive affirmations such as:

“I am healthy, strong, active, and able to leap up mountains”

“I reconnect with spirit through daily meditation”

“I only yell at my kids after I’ve yelled at myself and make sure the neighbors are listening”

…you get the picture. 

Now it is time for PROJECTS I want to accomplish, those that have eluded me, perhaps ideas that get pushed to the bottom of the Not Important pile at the end of each day that continue to nag at me.  Make a Projects To Finish list, this works powerfully. 

Some of my Favorite Examples for Personal and Business from years past include: 

2005: Afford a New House – purchased by June 2005

2006: Write My First Book – Finished by November 2006

2007: Record an Album of Original Songs – Finished by May 2007

2009: Add the Band to the Show – Finished by September 2009

2011: Create a New and Legitimate Talent Agency that accounts for 25% of Income – December 2011

Etc, etc…

 

Personal Project in 2011: Climb every mountain I can see from my house – finished in October 2011, including 40 summits and hikes elsewhere around the country

Now it’s time to set the BIG YEARLY GOAL.  This is the one that encompasses all you are working toward for the entire year, and possibly the umbrella of all goals set.  It’s tough, but it’s your Yearly Mission Statement, it’s the reason to get up in the morning, or not eat that extra cookie…

2011 mine was: Climb The Grand Teton in Jackson, WY (a lofty and insane goal considering I had done little to no actual mountain climbing, was “clinically obese”, and have bad knees, back, neck, etc.).  I had to do some serious training, overcoming some huge mental and physical obstacles, and it changed my whole life. 

See the picture below to see if I accomplished this BIG GOAL. 

 

Jason Hewlett Summit of The Grand Teton, Jackson, WY Aug. 27, 2011 9:30 AM 13,770 ft

I took this Photo before sleeping in the saddle of the Tetons at 11,700 ft, I truly thought it might be my last self-portrait before our bid for the summit the next morning

 

I also suggest the BIG 5-Year Goal, the BIGGER 10-year Goal, and so on.  These can continually change, but will drive your life and can change it for the better with how you spend each waking moment. 

In 2012 I hope you’ll put some of these, as well as the practices you have found successful into your agenda of DECISIONS and I will see you at the TOP!

God Bless You~

Jason Hewlett

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