I was given the rare opportunity to get through to my tween.  It was yet another conversation that was quickly going down the slippery slope of pre-hormonal apathy (his, not mine!) and somehow, I was able to break down the concept of discipline to the most common denominator.

“If you want different results, you have to have new habits.”

He stopped.  He looked at me.  Something clicked.  He stopped hearing how horrible and mistaken he was (I never said that but that was his interpretation) and saw a moment of light and possibility.  We found common ground!  New habits.  He could start new habits!

How about you?  This is the time of year when the media knocks on my door to talk about new years resolutions.  I welcome the invitation but I warn them that  I don’t believe in them.  They are a list of new results and they ignore the difficulty of the new habits required for new outcomes.  Of course, it’s important to keep the goal in your sights, but the action you take on a daily basis is what gets you there.  It’s not enough to say you will do something.  You have to make up your mind and take action accordingly and probably much simpler action than you originally thought.

Pick one habit that needs to change.  Just one.  And change it.  New results will follow.  I promise.