To provide you some raw materials for what you might resolve in your life, here are two different sets of source material that were recently published: “Resolutions for a Life Worth Living” from The Marginalian (formerly Brain Pickings) and “10 Insightful Tips From People Who Prove It’s Never Too Late” from the New York Times. Of course, regardless of what resolutions speak to you, you’d be wise to remember that old pop culture saying that says “a dream without a plan is like a sailboat without a sail.” Resolutions need to become action plans, which always start with our thoughts, as reflected in these words from Gandhi:
“Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.”
In order for your actions to become your habits, I’d recommend two books that can assist you: Charles DuHigg’s “The Power of Habit” and BJ Fogg’s “Tiny Habits.”
Lastly, the best MEA approach to Resolutions might be to borrow our concept of the Great Midlife Edit, which suggests: the first half of our life is about accumulating, and the second half is about editing. Often, the challenge with Resolutions is that we haven’t made space for them. Editing is a form of prioritizing, not just what we want, but what no longer serves us. Editing is asking what we can let go of so that we can bring something new into our life (in this case, our resolutions). And, as we do at MEA, you might even want to ritualize what you’re letting go of—we do it with a piece of paper and a fire.
And such is the magic and mystery of life, that once you let go of those things that no longer serve you (and with gratitude for what they gave you or taught you), you’re much more likely to allow the space for new things to enter into your life.
Is it too late to change your life? Never!