I get it.

New Years, it's just an arbitrary date change.

Everyone will get back to their pity party in 3 weeks time anyway...right?

I've always been dicey about New Years because on one hand the opportunity to start fresh is always welcome but on the other- Rome was not built in a day and new habits should've honestly began last year to get the ball rolling right on Jan 1st. But now that we are here.....DON'T DELAY.

Don't wait until the first day of class in like a week from now. Don't start hitting the gym on Jan 2nd-3rd. What you perform on the first day of the year can have reverberations for months to come. By taking control on the first day even if there are only a few hours left is critical- use it to prove to yourself that you ARE going to get things done.

What is the true strength of New Years anyway? Why do people partake in new habits even?

It is essentially a giant exercise in BUILDING MOMENTUM.

Clearly momentum and habit change are powerful forces that can amount to changing your life- if it couldn't then this annual ritual that many of us perform would likely be avoided; quite possibly even ridiculed. But clearly something works for many many people hence it's stuck around.

Now quite frankly to build some comprehensive guide is beyond the amount of time I have allotted on this Jan 1st, but I'm doing some version of it anyway, why? Because I made a commitment to myself that I would become a better writer and deliver tangible, actionable, tips through the screen. I will make 2019 the greatest year of my life and this is definitely one component of it.

On building momentum:

  1. Starting ASAP: I touched on this point right off the top because of how much I believe in it. Don't delay, the year has begun to dwindle and as crazy as it sounds, Christmas will be around the corner once again. As I get older the more sensitive I'm starting to become to the passages of time- a year is not as long as it used to be and I'm definitely feeling it. So start today!
  2. Start what exactly? : This might be the big question on some of the younger peoples minds especially. To start TRP focused, let's say....SMV development and Game/social skills Success. To college grads and beyond, this can stretch to more nuanced areas like Mastery of your field/craft. This is definitely my area to improve on, I seek to achieve maximal mastery towards my discipline of study.
  3. Break it down: For me I will find mentors, practice more, and seek out opportunities(keeping it broad for the internet) Take your goals TRP related or not and break them down into manageable chunks. Even on a week by week basis for those who love to plan things out. What objectives should you nail by each week and making sure you hit the daily milestones, speaking of which....
  4. Don't break the chain: This is the core essence of building momentum. Buy a calendar and each day you accomplish the minimum work towards your bigger goal that's OUTSIDE of your day to day work/school then you are allowed to put an X on the calendar. This has been attributed to Jerry Seinfeld but I'm sure others have come up with it long before him.
  5. Go to bed tired: This is one of the biggest indicators I use to figure out if I accomplished enough in a day. Unless it's a scheduled rest day or something- if I still have enough energy to watch an hour of TV or some other BS then I didn't work to the best of my ability that day- I know my own body and on the days I perform best, I always go to bed tired. Try it for yourself perhaps. Make each night's rest feel earned.
  6. Begin with the end in mind: Where do you want to be on December 31st 2019? If you think that I'm being crazy or "extra" by thinking that far ahead then I have some news for you- you definitely aren't a high performer. Almost every highly skilled individual in any area has their year "mapped out" before it even begins. The closer you get to that level- the higher your SMV is likely going to be as well. Just an observation I've made in life. Don't just worry about 2019, how can you use the goals 2019 to accomplish what you want for 2020? That's what the real winners in life are asking my friends- GET ON THIS LEVEL.
  7. Parkinson's law: The amount of time it takes to complete a task will fill the amount of time allotted for it. So if you schedule something to take the whole year then you might do jack shit for 8 months and find a way to finish it in the last 4. Don't be that guy. I never recommend having a sub-goal take more than 3 months.

That's really the crux of it, now I'm going to layout of TRP focused plan & structures to showcase how one might go about this in real life. Safe zone is referencing things that aren't overly harmful or should cause NO anxiety whatsoever to perform, the idea is to acclimate towards improvement no matter what---while you take the bigger risks. So even if you fail, you still have your safe zone results to feel good about.

Goal Safe Zone Action Taken Daily Danger Zone (Risk Factor) Target time frame
I want to approach 50 chicks Just ask a question to ANY female whatsoever."Excuse me where is X? " "Do you have this in my size?" Yes Yes this includes store employees as well, that way they have to say at least something and you fill your quota. Approach one chick per week for the purposes of getting her number or striking a convo/ for what we are really after. 3 months
I want to banish my negative thinking Write 15 positive affirmations per day each morning. Easy enough- just have a pen and paper ready to go. Compliment someone weekly or if not daily that is a total stranger or perhaps volunteer and see how much you really have compared to the less fortunate. 6 months (probably ongoing)
I want to make more music Write a new sheet of notes each day or perhaps write new lyrics. Whatever works. Perform your original tracks at open or free venues more often and rate the crowd response. 3-6 months, depending on how good of a performer/Producer you already are.
I want to maximize my physical SMV Make sure to groom & clean yourself daily. Apply moisturizer or cream. And fix the damn wardrobe. Hit the gym consistently if you haven't. It's all in your control. Honestly there is very little danger activities for this. It's all under your own hood. Maybe ask others what they think of your improvements? I wouldn't do that because I do these things for myself, not anyone else. 1-3 months (not including gym gains)

These are just examples I'm giving to try to nail the point home. Build momentum and have all your goals build into the next objective so then things can compound rapidly over time. Good luck and have a prosperous 2019!

Side note: The formatting of the table on mobile is a bit wonky , apologies- the post is best read of desktop.