It’s that time of the year again. Everyone has to pick a side. I’m not talking about Trump or Biden, Coke or Pepsi, or Samsung or Apple. I’m talking about whether to make a New Year’s resolution or not. I’m talking about making a promise to yourself that may hold the key to having a great year, but also, if past performance is any indicator of future results, will not survive past 2 to 3 weeks.
To resolve or not resolve – that is the question.
You don’t need to go very far to find tons of articles on how to keep your New Year’s resolution. This is not one of them.
There is only one resolution you need to make this year and in any following year. It’s best to renew it every year so you will stay on course. It applies to everyone regardless of nationality, religion, or gender. It has no age limits and no minimum skill requirements. It’s so simple and so powerful, yet it will never make a Top 10 list of New Year’s resolutions alongside “lose weight,” “stop (insert bad habit),” or “call my mom more.”
The hands-down, all-time, best New Year’s resolution is:
“I choose to be who I am meant to be.”
Allow me to explain. It’s not about picking a vocation – accountant, construction worker, or musician. It’s not about fulfilling a role – partner or spouse, parent, or CEO. It’s not something that can be measured in dollars, likes, or awards.
It’s about choosing to be the person you were meant to be so you can make your best impact in this world. Each one of us has something special inside that is ready to be fulfilled, but only if we choose to embrace it.
Perhaps you’re not convinced there is more for you or you worry the barriers are too much. I don’t know your situation, so I won’t presume to tell you what you should or should not think. What I will share is regardless of where you find yourself right now, you have everything you need already to achieve your fullest potential.
Think of an acorn. Every acorn has the potential to grow into a great oak tree. It doesn’t need to buy anything or change anything about itself. Similarly, you already have everything you need inside you to fulfill your full potential. You don’t need to buy a course or a product, and you certainly don’t have to change who you really are. You are the acorn. You are also the oak.
I will make one concession. Like the acorn, you cannot grow in isolation. You cannot defy the laws of nature or reality. You must be in the world and interact with the world. You need the right conditions to thrive and grow.
However, for most of us, how we connect with the world is not the real barrier. The real thing stopping most of us is we have not made the choice to be who we were were meant to be.
Instead, we move along and take the obvious things, the expected things, or the shiny things. These can all be satisfying in their own way, but let’s be clear – these are detours from what you are supposed to be. The great thing about a detour is it doesn’t mean all is lost. It’s just a different path to the same place.
But you have to choose your final destination in order to have a chance of getting there. You may arrive tomorrow, in a year, or you may not fully arrive before your time is up. However, you will have been on the right journey and enjoyed getting closer to your destination by choosing to be who you were meant to be. You will do more of the things that matter to yourself, to others, and the world. What exactly you do and how you do it may take various forms and can change over the years, but you will always recognize it because it energizes you.
So whether you make a standard New Year’s resolution or not this year, join me in making the only one that really matters:
“I choose to be who I am meant to be.”
“Be who you were created to be, and you will set the world on fire.”
—St. Catherine of Sienna
#newyears #connectioncounselor #executivepresence #leadership
About the author
As the Connection Counselor, Joe Kwon helps busy professionals elevate their careers by teaching them how to connect to anyone, anytime, anywhere. His emphasis is on practical learning, delivered in an entertaining, heartfelt, and inclusive manner.
An acclaimed coach and keynote speaker with over 20 years of experience in Corporate America, his goal is to help you unlock the best version of yourself.
Joe’s ground-breaking book, “Unlock Your Executive Presence: Feel Like a Boss,” wrestles this elusive ability to the ground and teaches you how to generate it. A favorite of his guests, Joe is the host of “The Big Lie” and “Why It Works” podcasts.
Joe holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Virginia (Go Hoos!), a law degree from Georgetown University, and lives in New Jersey with his wife and son.
Learn more at: connectioncounselor.com
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