With January and New Year’s resolution excitement slowly fizzling out, it’s all too clear the NEW YEAR – NEW YOU vibe is just not going to vibe throughout the year, and it’s not a viable solution to your consistency issues.
Because ultimately, it’s the new year, but old habits persist, and the same old discipline is what is needed at the end of the day.
But what if I told you discipline is actually NOT what you need as a lawyer?
If you can’t commit to a workout routine or follow through with a mindfulness practice like meditation or journaling, while having no problem with growing your law practice or succeeding in your career, it’s not because you are undisciplined.
If that were the case, you wouldn’t be a lawyer.
If you are a super busy lawyer, unable to stick to your personal routines, from workouts to family gatherings, the issue is that you are not well-equipped to maintain consistency amid your successful but demanding career.
And because creating effective performance strategies specifically tailored for busy professionals like lawyers is my absolute jam, I have crafted this New Year battle plan for you.
Here are 5 EASIEST ACTIONS you can take right NOW to increase your consistency by 60 – 70% (SPOILER ALERT – MOST IMPORTANT ADVICE is at the very bottom of this post)
- MENTAL CONTRASTING
Imagining an inspiring future and acknowledging your current reality as an obstacle to your dreams. This is scientifically proven to increase long-term strength, endurance, and energy. Which in turn is particularly useful if your goals take a longer time to achieve (e.g., getting a degree, securing a job, or reaching a certain financial level).
DO THIS NOW: Imagine your goals if you DID stay consistent. Let’s say you want to work out 3x a week. Imagine how your body, health, mood, and lifestyle would transform if you did stay consistent. How would you feel? How would your friends and family be impacted? How would your career improve?
- IMPLEMENTATION INTENTIONS
“If this – then.” Research shows that considering potential obstacles to your habits and creating a simple plan on how to overcome them increases your discipline by 60%. This is especially useful if you have a job prone to emergencies and changes.
DO THIS NOW: Identify three obstacles and strategize how you will handle them. Let’s say, once again, you want to work out 3x a week. Think about what could interfere with such a plan. What about last-minute emergency tasks, your kids getting sick, or having a tight deadline the next day? Now, consider a high-level action plan for each of these scenarios. For instance, moving the workout to an earlier/morning time before you open your mailbox, or rescheduling it to the day immediately after the emergency, or doing a home workout after bedtime. Brainstorm, revisit the options, and create a PLAN B that fits your lifestyle and that you can fall back on when needed.
- ENVIRONMENTAL PROMPTING
You won’t eat the bag of chips you don’t buy. Increase discipline by setting your environment in a way that removes any negative triggers (e.g. unhealthy snacks or distractions). The same applies to positive prompts (e.g. healthy snacks, workout gear, or easy-to-use apps).
DO THIS NOW: Check your environment and remove anything causing derailment. It’s kind of obvious when it comes to food, but even when it comes to exercise you can always come up with something. Let’s say you will always have your tank full so you don’t get caught up on the way to the gym. You will put your membership on auto-renewal so you don’t need to sort it monthly, or never make evening plans the night before a workout. This works also the other way – when adding what’s helping with your habits to your routine. This can be making sure you always have clean gym clothes ready, that you have all the gear you need, or buying supplements that you know will make you more motivated to work out.
- TRACKING & MEASURING
What gets measured gets improved. Tracking supports discipline by creating a tangible setup for progress, turning abstract aspirations into concrete data, making it easier to spot patterns, address setbacks, as well as celebrate small achievements.
DO THIS NOW: Create a habits tracker. You can do it analog or digital. Just make sure you include a clear description of the routine you are tracking (to avoid grey areas), some form of tracking system, and also space to reflect on each week tracked so you can improve. If you want a great tracker, I created one in Notion. You can access it for FREE as my gift to you HERE. If you want to go full Jodi mode, think also of one thing you will reward yourself for one week/month of consistency.
- INCREASING JOY
You don’t need discipline to scroll your feed; it’s because you enjoy it. Discipline doesn’t have to be about suffering, but about finding joy in your journey. Think about the single most powerful way you can add joy to your current routines & watch your consistency soar.
DO THIS NOW: Think of 1-5 ways you can increase the enjoyment of your new habits/routines. When it comes to workouts, this could be: a favorite outfit, playlist, going to work out with a friend, adding your favorite protein bar as a post-workout treat, or choosing a class you love or a place for a workout you enjoy the most.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST KNOW THIS: The struggle is real. By now (end of January), almost HALF of people would have given up on their goals.
BUT you don’t have to try to figure it out all on your own (cos you are a busy lawyer an you won’t)
You need someone who will offer a second pair of eyes and has a blueprint that will help you uncover your blind spots and offer a personalized strategy!
So you can finally get CLEAR on what you want, be CONFIDENT that you can achieve it, and have a plan to stay CONSISTENT effortlessly.
I prepared a special NEW YEAR’S GOALS CONSISTENCY AUDIT and I am offering it until February 2, 2024 for a special price: $90 (instead of the standard $150).
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