Congratulations!!! If you are reading this, you successfully navigated 2020. Here at the end of the year, Thesaurus.com fans put their wordsmithing to the test by selecting a single word that best summed up 2020. From the pandemic, wildfires, elections, and hurricanes, the most popular answer to that question was unprecedented. Each of us is going to see something very different based on our perspectives or point of view as we reflect or try to forget 2020. Some grew during this time while others faltered and many people reading this has experienced some type of loss. Either in the form of a loved one, acquaintance, or even some freedoms, nobody escaped unscathed.

However, even though many are hurting, most of those I am connected to are looking ahead to the fresh hope that comes from a new year. There’s a comfort that comes from doing something that is familiar and to many that included making some New Year's resolutions. With so many topics that I am eager to share from this year, I will attempt to focus on resolutions and save the others for another time.

The first New Year's resolutions date back over 4,000 years ago to ancient Babylon. The Babylonians are said to have started the tradition during Akitu, a 12-day New Year celebration. ... This new date honored Janus, a two-faced god who symbolically looked back into the previous year and forwards into the new year. (site Google)

Fast forward to now, and most of those who are crafting resolutions have already concluded the work of looking back, seeing what they want to change, and already planning what they are resolving to do moving forward. Sadly, most will fail in that resolution process.

According to a 2018 study conducted by the University of Scranton, just 8 percent of people achieve their New Year's goals, while around 80 percent fail to keep their New Year's resolutions, says US clinical psychologist Joseph Luciani. “One problem is the psychology behind the word itself. Resolution. It's a strong, demanding word. It screams, I must! It's a demand that we place upon ourselves, and there is no room for failure. Yet, failure is pretty much inevitable. Most of us simply don't respond to this word, and when we don't, we feel disappointed in ourselves--even ashamed.”(Researcher Marla Tabaka)

I personally feel another reason resolutions are often unsuccessful is that when we resolve to do something, we fail to make room in our lives by renouncing activities or efforts that need to be put on hold until we accomplish what we resolve. We have all learned this year more than any other year the power that can come from freeing up time in our schedule. This can be a painful but necessary process, but often one you cannot accomplish on your own.

There are reasons tied to our own biases that keep us from being completely objective with what we may need to do to improve our life circumstances. Ironically in 2020, I had resolved to improve my mental health which has led me down a long road of study but I am here to profess that I am in the 8% that was successful.

My scorecard came this summer when Multi-Health Systems, Inc. put me through a rigorous assessment and I score one whole standard deviation above the mean in the area of Emotional Intelligence which is a strong indicator of mental health.

Something else I learned from this exercise is that my highest score of 15 different areas of talent is problem-solving. In retrospect, it makes perfect sense that the need for us to improve is in fact a problem to be solved which might explain why I have been successful at this over the years.

So, I have talked about the history and hope around resolutions and also revealed a possible barrier to accomplishing them. If you have attempted and failed at resolutions in the past, then you have possibly read articles on how to do them better and called on friends to be an accountability partner. If that has worked for you and you want to continue down that path, great for you. If you want to try something different I have a proposal.

I have put together an R&R system ( Resolve and Renounce) that I believe will help anybody beat the odds if they truly put it in to use. With this, you will receive regular coaching from me to help you in the areas that are truly unique to you. The coaching and the kickoff will begin the second week in January because it is also known that those that start mid-January instead of January the 1st are typically more successful.

I’m going to limit this first cohort to 10 people and the cost will be $85.00. This will keep us connected from January the 10th - March 10th which is nearly a month after other resolutions fail. Just go to Legionoflongevity.com go to “SHOP” and select “R&R Coaching 2021”

Hiring a coach or paying for a system is not a sign of failure. In fact, the best performers in the world all have coaches because they can provide something that is impossible for us to provide for ourselves. Objectivity and perspective blended with experience. If you get to the end and find zero value, you can let me know and your money will be returned.

My hope is that everyone reading this finds what they are looking for in 2021. My desire for all is that we are able to find a means of contribution to others which is the best path to happiness. From the bottom of my heart, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

To Resolve or Renounce