Are you committed to living your best life?
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Last week I spent a day in deep thought about the way I lived in the past year, and considering how I intend to live in the coming year.
Yom Kippur (the second of the Jewish high holy days) is a sober day, but it is also one that always inspires me to consider what I am committing to now.
It’s relatively easy to devote one day to such thoughts and the commitments they entail (even while a day of fasting is challenging and tiring).
But what will all of those thoughts become a week from now?
What about six months from now, and a year from now?
The reality we create reflects our commitments
How will I look back and assess the year when October 2023 rolls around?
This is a truly sobering question.
It requires that I focus on changes to make.
It means clearly choosing paths, as I commit to staying on some I’ve been on, moving away from others, and seeking new directions.
It means considering how I want to show up in my life.
What ways of acting and thinking will I aim to sustain, and what do I feel called to change?
What do I feel excited to create?
The life I reflect back on a year from now will demonstrate my commitment to the actions required to make my intentions a reality.
Commitment = action and sustained dedication
I do not make commitments lightly. I know that they require meaningful, sustained effort.
Making a commitment means not only deciding what I intend to do, but actually taking action — and continuing to take consistent action.
For example, if I commit to developing a new habit, I need to practice it. I can start with introducing small changes. And I know the key is to stick with them and expand on them until the desired state becomes my new normal.
Some habits can shift quickly. I am also aware that many habit changes require longer commitment, and a willingness to resume the focus when the inevitable setbacks interrupt progress.
Another example is choosing how to focus my time and attention. I am considering some activities to let go of — to make space for things I have neglected, or for things I’ve thought about but never started, or for new things that intrigue me now.
By clearly choosing and committing, and staying mindfully in action, I know I can make progress.
It may not be “perfect” every step of the way, and that’s ok.
I will get help when needed. I have tools to turn to when I am unsure of my next steps or veer off-course and need to recommit. I know I can always create new ways forward.
The vision I set will support me to stay on track.
What changes do you want to make?
What changes will make a difference in your wellbeing — physical, emotional, and spiritual?
What do you want to change to make a relationship stronger?
What do you want to start that is calling you? (And will you stop doing something to make space for it?)
In what ways do you yearn to expand — to show up in a bigger way, more authentically, less fearfully, and with more love?
What are you called to do or create that will make the world better? Are there actions you want to take in support of issues that deeply matter to you?
Do not underestimate your ability to impact the world.
When we all show up as our best selves, and commit to taking consistent, courageous action that is aligned with our values and our hearts, our efforts have ripple effect that are world-changing, even as they are life-changing for us.
