Daily Intentions, Lasting Impact

After “Five Essential Exercises for Entrepreneurs to Review the Past Year,” building mindfulness by “Unlocking Clarity and Focus with Purposeful Awareness,” and a stop to focus on your wellness with “Gently Make Wellness a Part of Your Blueprint,” let's enhance how we set our goals.

Forget fleeting New Year's resolutions; it's time to build lasting habits that lead us to success. So let’s make this your time to transition from simply being wishful about the future to creating habits that align with your aspirations and your beliefs. Every habit we foster is a vital component in constructing our legacy. It's the small, gut-consistent little steps, not the grand pronouncements, that craft our stories—particularly success stories.

Move ahead with intention, not merely setting goals but living them in every choice you make, every single day. We’re doing it with you. The enduring commitment to grow, transform, and surpass expectations is about focusing on “growing” and “transforming”—the “surpassing” will come from there.

So let’s start with 7 challenges we learned from others and loved in 2023, and then talk about some extra actionable steps to help you succeed.

1. Build on failure as a stepping stone to success.

Train to use failure by setting a "Failure of the Day" challenge. Purposefully try something new, and if it doesn't go as planned, reflect on the lessons learned and how it contributes to personal growth.

2. Lean into challenges and take risks.

Embrace discomfort. Challenge yourself to take on a task or project that pushes you outside of your comfort zone, fostering personal and professional growth.

3. Prioritize human connection in business.

Foster human connections by brewing yourself a "Coffee Break Challenge." Schedule a coffee or virtual chat with a colleague or team member to strengthen professional relationships.

4. Emphasize self-care to achieve success.

Focus on well-being by implementing a "30-Minute Tech-Free Zone" before bedtime. Disconnect from electronic devices to improve the quality of your sleep and overall well-being.

5. Welcome change and innovation.

Embrace change by dedicating an hour or two each week to learn about a new industry strategy, trend, or technology. Stay informed and open to innovation within your field, and seek inspiration in similar fields that might spark an innovative approach.

6. Encourage and uplift others.

Encourage and uplift others by starting a "Compliment Chain." Compliment a colleague or friend genuinely, and encourage them to pass on a compliment to someone else, creating a positive chain reaction.

7. Embrace diversity for innovation.

Embrace diversity by committing to learning about a new culture each month. This could include trying new foods, reading literature, or understanding business practices from different perspectives.

We all want to start the year right, but making a change is hard. Luckily, behavioral scientists have found ways to form new, healthy habits, so that maintaining a resolution is easier than ever. Assign each of the concepts above to a day of the week for as many days as you can, and move on to the next once you feel one’s been ingrained. By practicing each on its assigned day and cycling through them, we are not just passing time and adding variety; we are sculpting futures.

Is it better to start slowly or with a bang?
Two economists offered three groups of 40 people monetary incentives to exercise for a month. The groups were characterized by how often they needed to attend the gym in order to get the reward. In the weeks to follow, the people in the group with the highest attendance were still attending with double the frequency of the other groups. Therefore, even starting a new habit with unsustainable intensity can help you keep your resolution.

What if I mess up?
Two marketing professors offered hundreds of people $1 for every day they completed a questionnaire, with bonuses available for reaching a certain number of days. One group needed to do 5 per week, whereas another needed all 7, but two could be missed. The group with two ‘mulligans’ ended up getting more bonuses, even though the requirements were the same. So if you mess up, it’s still motivating to give yourself another chance.

How do I stay motivated to try things I don’t like? 
Scientists have a tip: bundle it. Scientists studied the effect on the frequency of gym attendance when participants were only allowed to use their iPods or audiobooks while exercising. Over several weeks, they attended 27% more times than those who didn’t bundle. Pair the good with the bad to make it through!

Use breaks in work activities or festivities to reflect on achievements, celebrate the rich set of diverse experiences that make you you, and plan for an open-minded and prosperous future.

Practice and evolve. Let 2024 be the year where our resolutions transform into tangible realities, where every day of the week contributes a crucial part to the mosaic of our success. This is how we build a year of impactful change, one habit, one day at a time.

Happy Holidays to all! 🎉

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Thanks for being here,

Your hosts at theDiversityPost, 👉 Alicia, Raffa & Tomás.

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