Change

Albert Einstein is credited for the definition of insanity.

Insanity: doing the same thing, over and over again, and expecting different results.

Seems legit.

I had an epiphany related to a personal pursuit that is basically summarized by this quote. ‘Spinning my wheels’ might be another appropriate catchphrase.

The repetitive nature of what I was doing was unnoticed because I was looking at it from the perspective that there was safety in repeating the process. Over and over. And getting the same result.

All too often we hear consistency is key. Key to what? Doing the same thing over and over? Are we rewarded when we repeat our efforts? In a sense, yes. I cannot deny that long-term effort does yield results in some regards. However, it can also create a false sense that we are being proactive when we’re probably more complacent than anything. (See my last post to read about my thoughts on complacency.)

Doing the same things over and over feels safe. There is security in things that feel familiar. Routine can be really helpful to an extent. It can also impede progress.

I’m constantly questioning so many of the challenges I see people doing; 100 squats for 100 days, 75 Hard, running or activity streaks that span many weeks, months, or years, etc. They’re cool and a great way to build new habits but is there growth, figuratively and literally, in doing the same thing over and over? At the end of a 100-day streak of squatting how much strength have you built? Does doing 100 squats feel easier on day 100 than it did on day one? If you run a mile a day every day for 300 days, on day 301 are you going to feel fit enough to go run 13 miles? If you complete 75 Hard, what happens on day 76?

While I do love routine and ritual related to some of my personal practices (my 5-year sobriety streak or daily morning meditation practice for example), I know the value of getting off the hamster wheel once we recognize that we’re on it.

My newfound awareness of the repetitive actions I’ve taken out of comfort and safety has shaken me. It’s given me an opportunity for self-assessment and instead of throwing in the towel because I wasn’t getting the result I desired (and was getting pretty much the same result over and over), I’ve decided to switch things up.

Variety, changing things up, finding new ways to refine a process, and willingness to explore other ways of doing something, I believe, will yield better results than doing the same things on repeat over and over.

I think it will honestly salvage my sanity!

Walking into 2022 like I’m ready for a revolution.

Yes, you read that right.

New Year’s Revolution.

I’ve never been much of a fan of New Year’s resolutions. The act of resolving something typically stems from the desire to find a solution to a problem.

In the case of a person setting a New Year’s resolution, the root of desired change stems from the belief that there is something unsatisfactory – or wrong – about the person or their behaviors. And sure, some habits may be categorized as unfavorable but anytime we approach change from a place of self-deprecation, we are not setting ourselves up for success.

By definition, resolution means to make a firm decision to do, or not do, something. However, it doesn’t address the need for actual actions that align with what the desired outcome is.

You can make a decision to do something or not do something. To state a solution to a problem or problematic behavior is easy. But it doesn’t necessarily equate to change and that’s why I believe so many people are challenged in keeping their resolve.

Revolution on the other hand implies radical change as a byproduct of activity or movement designed to affect change. It also means in favor of a new system.

In order to evoke change, we have to be willing to actually change our behaviors. And the overtone of the word revolution elicits action and being in favor of new ways to do so. It’s not co-dependent upon feeling bad about ourselves but instead birthed from a place of self-love, excitement, and curiosity about what kind of radical change we can create.

That is my perception of it anyway and from my own experience, a more sustainable approach to achieving goals whether they begin at the start of a new year or on a Tuesday in the middle of May.

I practice what I preach and I invite you to consider this as we approach January 1: are you ready for radical change or are you going to settle for stating you have a solution to X but have no tangible steps to actually achieve it?

The core elements of Aligned Activation are intended to help navigate the nonlinear nuances of actualizing desires. If you’re looking for some support, my January workshop will be looking into the prioritization of priorities in relation to actualizing a goal or achievement.

Actualization of a goal hinges on one’s ability to filter thoughts, actions, feelings towards, etc., through the lens that correlates to the desired outcome.