The most popular day for people to make changes to their lives is New Year’s Day. I love this day too! It holds the promise of change, new beginnings, new opportunities and limitless possibilities and epitomises the magic of new beginnings! It provides a nice clean slate to start fresh. To be different.

This got me thinking. Do I truly only get the magic of a new beginning on that one day?

Leaving my corporate job and the safety of the 6-figure salary I received, triggered me to view this differently.

Out with the old thinking

Change management is my jam and has been for 20 years! I know people, how change impacts them and why, despite providing support, it’s difficult for them to accept change. Sadly, over time I noticed that my job became less and less valued. As the amount of change facing organisations increased, there was less time to pay attention to the needs of people. As a result, my job became prescriptive and felt like a “tick the box” exercise. All I was doing was creating the right artefacts.

My ability to truly connect with people affected by the change and influencing them had been taken away but it was the part I loved most. The role was given to others who were ill equipped to deal with mindset or even wanted to deal with the mindset of others. They held the belief that change at work should just be accepted and “done”. Right?

I love serving people and I truly believe in change however, our brains are hardwired to seek safety. For this reason most people find change really hard. I know that people can change with the appropriate amount of support. I found it really hard not being able to provide support in a way I knew was appropriate. Not being able to do so also didn’t coincide with my value of service. If I can’t be of service to people and if what I value isn’t considered to be valuable then there is no point in me being there. So I quit.

In with the new thinking

On an arbitrary day I left my job. On another arbitrary day I started my own company. Does this mean that my new beginning was less magical than doing it on January 1? I learned that it didn’t matter as the true magic of new beginnings lies in taking the action to create that new start.

I now choose to look at each day as a new opportunity to start fresh. Each day has the magic of new beginnings in it ,not just the one day. If something didn’t go well today, then tomorrow is another day to improve upon it or even to start over. If I didn’t get to the gym today then I will go tomorrow. Forgot to eat healthy today? There is a new opportunity to do so tomorrow. If I didn’t hit my goal today then I have another day tomorrow to go after it.

The magic is in the consistent, intentional action you take, not in the day you choose take action or not. New Year’s resolutions hold such promise but they don’t work for me. I needed something else. I use words to guide me to my goals.

My three words for 2023

For 2023, I have chosen three new words to measure my progress against by the end of the year:

• Intentional
• Consistent
• Service

They will help me create the magic of new beginnings for myself every day. For every action or non action I take I will ask myself these questions:

• Will what I am choosing to do or not to do get me closer or further away from where I want to be?
• Is the action I am choosing to take or not take intentional and in alignment with my goals?
• Will the action or non action help me be consistent?
• Will the action or non action be of service or a disservice to me, my business and others?

I know that by being intentional, consistent and in service to myself, by business and others I will not be in the same place by 31 December 2023 that I am today on 2 January 2023.

You can read all about my process and my 3 words for 2022 in here.

I’m looking forward to the magic of new beginnings unfolding every day in 2023. There is a new dawn every day representing limitless opportunities if I choose to look at it that way.

Are you curious to see how 2023 will unfold for the both of us? You can follow my journey here. I’d love to connect with you too to follow yours.