Set Yourself Up for Success in 2019

The Cave You Fear to Enter Holds the Treasure You Seek   ~Joseph Campbell

Here we are, a New Year, a fresh start. Watch the commercials, ads and listen for chatter around diets, goals and resolutions. Sound familiar?

Do we go through this cycle every year, only to lose steam in a few months (weeks? days?) and feel a sense of failure? Maybe this year a more holistic approach is in order, one that resolves to be a better person, not lower the number on the scale or raise the one in your bank account.

There is a time and place for setting “SMART” goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound), and perhaps this year try something more global. Is it time to challenge something you fear? To be more appreciative of what you do have?

If it is time to address something that scares you, handle it by taking a different approach than you normally would. Lets face it, whatever approach you were using in the past and even in the present is not working, because that feeling of fear is still there each and every time. Take the power out of it and control IT, not the other way around. The feeling of conquering something is much more rewarding than temporarily achieving a New Years resolution.

While you are striving for more, keep the things you do have conscious. This is not slacking or giving up, it’s appreciating what you possess while striving for what you want. This can be your home, your job, people in your life, your limbs. At the end of each day think about something that happened that you are grateful for. You will be amazed to learn of the charmed life you live. If you are reading this magazine, you know and love Montauk, that alone is something to be aware of.

List the things you want to do better. Think about situations you are in, how you would like to handle them, or how you wish you handled past situations. Then go out and try it. There is no bench mark, no number, you just simply try your best for continuous self-improvement. Be more conscious of your blind spots, how you want to grow, and what you can do differently. 2019 may evolve in delightfully unexpected ways if you simply pay more attention. There is always success in taking healthy risks, the failure lies in not taking the risk at all.