"Never underestimate the power you have to take your life in a new direction." — Germany Kent
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Hi Fam,
I hope you're feeling grateful and fulfilled on this new year's eve.
Wow! This year was a whole vibe of its own! 2021 brought its twists and turns and gave us countless reasons to look up and inwards always, not around.
The goal today is for us to feel nudged to take on 2022. Not as a scary big piece of perfectionist, mundane goals that we set at the start of every year. But size-able, daily activities that leave peace in our hearts as we lay our heads on our pillows at the end of each day.
Yeah! If this year taught us one thing, it is the grace to manage uncertainty! We try to take stock of how far you've come and what could or could not achieve.
And as the year wraps up, we pull out our long list of goals and set schedules from January 1st, 2021, trying to make up for lost time from 2019 and 2020. But guess what?
Things got wobbly, time ran fast, the stock market got bumpy, but we made great progress too! Our faith got stronger, our relationships grew, our prayer fire was rekindled, our hearts stayed solid. Why? The God in you remained the same (Isaiah 40:8, Malachi 3:6).
The turbulence around us can sometimes make our goals ambiguous and tough to accomplish. Trust me! 2021 made us feel stuck in many areas that we might have torn up our New Year's resolution list by March.
You may even start to do everything all at once or try to dabble into everything that people suggest you should try. "Why don't you start a business?", "Why don't you move to this country?", "When are you having a second child?" and so on.
Or might have been guilty too of sticking our noses or playing board members in other peoples' business, aren't we all? (Continue to the end to understand why!)
But, let's try something different in handling our own affairs this new year. (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12)
Try The 1 Percent Rule
In a nutshell, the 1% rule tells us that marginal, tiny changes daily will lead to significant improvements over time (first coined by Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba). They may not be visible at first, but in the long run, they are most meaningful.
"All big things come from small beginnings." — James Clear.
We've been around a culture that encourages 'fast-everything.' Fast is good but doesn't last. Also, please, don't give yourself a headache trying to cure malaria or end child malnutrition, all in one day.
I believe, by starting with small steps that are specific and clear, we don't become overwhelmed by the enormity of our goals. Instead, I can go to bed feeling accomplished that I; "did some yoga", "refined my business plan", "read a few articles", or "Had a few meaningful conversations today". And not having to worry ourselves to sleep.
We spend a lot of time worrying about not achieving our goals instead of asking, "what small activities can I engage in today that will set me in the direction of where I want to be?"
It's okay to have those mind-shattering goals, but we have all experienced the feeling of disappointment at the end of the year when you don't achieve them all.
Even our ancestors have taught us that "tiny drops of water make a mighty ocean." And it is not about how fast but how well.
"Mastery requires patience." — James Clear.
James Clear shared in his book, titled Atomic Habits, that when our plans fail, we are not the problem, but our systems are. Wouldn't it be nice to swap our New Year's resolutions lists for a system that helps us build consistent and continuous improvements to our daily lives?
A hypothetical example of a better system is, breaking down your big goals into easy, simple to-do activities every day.
Use your Notes app (or something similar) to make immediate, daily goals before bed or in the morning).
By ticking those activities off daily, you have a sense of satisfaction and peace.
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How can I get the most of the 1% percent?
• Patience: Great things take time. (Romans 8:25) Document - and celebrate - your process as you grow, and you will see progress. It's okay that when we don't see immediate returns on our efforts, we most likely quit, but what does (Ecclesiastes 9:10) tells us?
• Rewire your mind: Focus on how you are growing and not on the results. If you focus on only meeting your goals, you may lose focus when you experience some failure. So, set your mind on the tiny improvements.
• Jesus, take the wheel: Let God go before you and set the pace for you. By committing your big activities and daily changes to God, you relinquish control and receive direction (Proverbs 16:3).
What do I get from it?
• Happiness: See eh! When you check off those tiny changes from your daily list, your mental health will thank you for not worrying about things beyond your control.
• A Better You: By having the mindset of making small improvements every day, you learn to stay committed to the process. And you will see progress. You will have a habit of continuous refinement instead of just setting a goal that you might abandon in the end.
• Empathy for others: When you see others in their "waiting" or "slow-building" season, you will understand because you've been there too! You will be curious - not nosy - about how they are doing.
It is my prayer that God empowers us to enjoy the little moments, add 1% improvements to our day, focus on the system rather than the target, and embrace the small wins throughout our journey to Jesus-perfection.
Well, until next time!
Love & Peace,
The Lady Nudge.
'The Lord replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.” ' Exodus 33:14
To Give Someone a Nudge - To give someone a mild or gentle reminder, directive, or word of encouragement.
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Sources: goodreads.com, biblegateway.com, my.bible.com
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