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I must admit, I am not a big fan of New Year\u2019s resolutions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I appreciate setting positive intentions, continual improvement, and self-reflective efforts to be a better human. However, I find the idea of rigid timelines and lofty goals counterproductive and in some cases self-defeating. Too often, they are an outgrowth of a misplaced focus on outcome over process, intensity over consistency, and towering achievement over slow and steady daily practice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We celebrate astounding weight loss, forgetting that it is the product of thousands of small healthy decisions made repeatedly over time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We celebrate awe-inspiring athletic milestones, but not the daily training regimen that makes them possible.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We marvel at scientific breakthroughs, but ignore the fact that these advances require determination through many failed attempts before ultimate success.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I believe it was Aristotle who said \u201cWe are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The key here is the reference to repetition; even though we may see the new year as a demarcation of change, or sign up for a 21-day challenge, or pledge to walk 1,000 miles in 1,000 days, the truth is that building a daily practice – building a habit – is not a time-limited proposition.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The answer to the question \u201cHow long does it take to build a daily practice?\u201d is simple. It takes a lifetime.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rather than resolution, I believe in evolution.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why our work at The Pollination Project matters to me. It\u2019s a collection of seemingly small grassroots actions that are helping evolve not just the individuals behind them, but our entire planet, into a daily practice of compassion and kindness. It is a community of people who care about outcomes and achievement, sure; but who are also in love with the process of becoming.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There is nothing special about January 1st except that, like every other day, it is a precious gift shimmering with potential; a new opportunity to build a practice of loving kindness, one small yet beautiful step at a time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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I must admit, I am not a big fan of New Year\u2019s resolutions.\u00a0 I appreciate setting positive intentions, continual improvement, and self-reflective efforts to be a better human. However, I find the idea of rigid timelines and lofty goals counterproductive and in some cases self-defeating. Too often, they are an outgrowth of a misplaced focus […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":70543,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[72,65,102,162,124,69,37],"yoast_head":"\n