Why do you think nearly 50% of people who write New Year’s Resolutions fail at them within the first six months?

Maybe because we all have the attention span of an Instagram feed.

It takes real kick-your-butt effort to change ourselves into a better slice of awesome.

After living the last year in complete chaos – most of which I brought on myself and infected those around me with – I figured I could use a little advice on how to get my act together in 2016.

I wasn’t really looking for a miracle cure when I wandered onto Google looking for answers on how to write my resolutions. But what I found was every self-help blogger, psychologist, psychoanalyst and wannabe spiritual healer and their change-your-life tips and trends.

Did you know there’s a checklist for darn near everything you ever wanted to fix about yourself? Within seven easy steps you can solve practically every dilemma you’ve ever had and lose the last 15-99 pounds with triumphant success.

So I killed a small forest and ran dry at least two highlighters but I came up with a few good directions on where to start. Then, I crumpled all the papers. Threw them away. Turned on some Guns N’ Roses and started getting to the heart of the matter.

That’s right. The heart of the matter.

I got real honest with myself on what I wanted out of life. It takes losing a few good people you want back, missing a few good opportunities you definitely needed and falling short of the finish line one too many times to finally gain a little thing called perspective.

In honor of all those checklists – here’s mine.

Alyssa’s 2016 New Year’s Perspective

1. Live for the living. I’ve mourned the loss of some of the greatest people I will ever know. And now they’re gone, I would give practically anything to have even 15 more minutes with them. In 2016, I am going to make the time to actually show people how much they matter. In person. Before it’s too late. And I’m going to stop making excuses about how busy I am.
2. Be brief. Be brilliant. Be gone. In 2016, I am going to improve my explanations. Reduce negotiations. Decrease the amount of time defending my side of the story. Choose excellence over perfection. And spend more time exploring new adventures.
3. Cut the frayed strings. I have a great tendency to hang on too long. In 2016, I’m going to be unflinchingly honest about the ships that have sailed and the relationships that have outgrown their place in my life. Sometimes you have to be strong enough to change how your chapter is written. And sometimes you even have to write out certain characters.

And finally…

4. Have a fiber rich life. My Grandpa Jim told me if he would’ve known he was going to live this long, he would’ve taken better care of himself along the way. The very fiber of my life is to be the best version of myself for those that depend on me so much. Having a strong mental, spiritual and physical health is the thread holding it all together. My fiber comes in many forms and I’m going to take a loading dose in the coming year.

I hope you’ll take a few moments to think about where your compass is pointing in 2016. For me, it was one of the toughest conversations I’ve had with myself in a long time.

Wherever your path goes in the New Year – may you find yourself there,

Alyssa Connell
CEO

the Connell Companies