Hey there,

It's middle of January already which means there's a high chance you are about to break some of your new year’s resolutions. If that’s the case, you are not alone.

According to the Fisher College of Business from Ohio State University, 23% of people break their resolutions by the end of the first week and 43% quit by the end of the month. That's almost half of the people who break their own pledge to themselves! I find it equal parts fascinating and unsettling, leaving me wondering why and what could they do differently.

I assume people set their resolutions according to what they want to change on their lives, what is having the most impact and limiting them. According to a poll from Forbes Health, the top New Year Resolutions for 2024 are

• Improve fitness (48%)

• Improve finances (38%)

• Improve mental health (36%)

• Lose weight (34%)

• Improve diet (32%)

It confirms my suspicions: people start the year focused on improving themselves, in particular their health. They know it is crucial if they want to have the best year, whatever it will through at you: having the strongest and healthiest body, brain and mind will ensure you can tackle it and thrive!

Yet after just 7 days almost a quarter have given up!

It's actually sad... and the saddest part is that these resolutions are only dependent on us. We can blame x, y or z but, at the end of the day, we are the ones making the decision about our choices and how we choose to act.

We start the year excited with all the possibilities a new set of 365 days have. We fill ourselves with hope that it will be the year this or that will have, this or that will change and we will finally be this or that. We are committed to it! We truly believe it until reality comes back, which happens on the 2nd of January. That moment marks the end of the resolutions for 91% of people: from that moment on, it's a slippery slop until we are back in square zero.

So why can't we stick with the resolutions we make for ourselves when they only depend on us? Why can't we keep on going?

The tough reality is that most don't know where they are going.

Seneca said

if you don't know where your heading, the wind will never blow in your favor.

In the Portuguese town of Ericeira we have our own version of it written on a rock by the sea:

Please take a moment to answer this very same question: do you have a clear vision for what you want to achieve? Do you have a clear goal? If I’d wake you in the middle of the night asking what are you fighting for, would you have an answer for me?

If you do, that's absolutely amazing! You must feel a deep sense of peace each time you are asked to make a call on whether going left or right, as you just need to ask yourself "is it going for or against my goal".

However, that may not be the case.

Working with people from all quadrants of life, most of them ambitious and wanting to thrive in this game called "Life", taught me most don't have a clear picture in their mind of what they are after. Some have some foggy ideas, others a couple of dreams but very few will know what they truly and deeply after.

Therefore, when asked to change their habits and behaviours, they don't know why they need to go through the discomfort and pain of changing. "I don't even know why am I doing this so why should I continue? Who care's...?". It's almost going endlessly around a roundabout without knowing which exit to take...

If it resonates with you, please consider doing an exercise that I took from Jairek Robbins' book "Live it" and have been suggesting my clients and patients do. I've done it myself and it brought me enough clarify and reassurance when taking tough decisions.

It's quite simple, you just need to write down the answer to this questions:

"If everything would be possible, what would an ideal day in your life be like?"

Be as detailed as you want. Let the picture come to you but make sure that you paint it on a blank canvas! Do not let it be influenced by your reality today. Just let it flow. You can take any amount of time you want, make it more detailed and really personal.

This picture will always be there as your heading, your North star, your why.

How? Simply ask: "Is this helping me getting closer to my ideal day?". If the answer is no... well, I think you know what you need to (not) do!

Bridging the gap between where you are and your ideal life will be your mission starting in 2024! Go back to your resolutions and edit them, making them about your mission. The actual steps you take on the journey will evolve but your mission will remain the same and hopefully you'll get closer to accomplish it every single day.

Have a great week!

Live, work and achieve beyond average.

Miguel Damas, MD

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