For several years now, my New Year’s resolution has been ACT DON'T REACT. Just that one statement covers a myriad of situations from personal management to family relationships to dreams and aspirations. In the area of personal management, I want to gain control of my weight, fitness and general health. Therefore, I need a plan to act upon rather than just continuing on in my familiar routines reacting to what comes my way. i.e. You need accountability techniques (a checklist or daily journal or a fitness buddy) to motivate and guide your daily behavior rather than just doing what come naturally.
After living with yourself for as many years as most senior citizens have, you think we’d have mastered care of our body during our declining years. But most of us just react to new ailments rather than focus on prevention and good health practices. We know better, but it takes less energy to procrastinate changing. It is easier to react rather than act, learning to live with the guilt instead of tackling the challenge of self-improvement. Listening to negative voices inside that discourage our efforts to become better seems easier than pursuing some plan of action.
The payoff for reacting is more guilt and less growth. Try acting for a change in some area of your life, and you’ll discover new strengths and energy for realizing some of the potential you have for happiness and self-development. Untapped creativity and interests can lead to greater fulfillment in all areas of your life. Want better family relationships? Make that a goal to act upon; don’t just sit around wishing they would improve. I remembering from my physics classes of long ago F=MA or force equals mass times acceleration. Movement in any direction is controlled by what/who you are trying to move and the momentum involved. If you are sitting around waiting for life to get better, it probably won’t. While if you are actively focused on change and improvement, it can happen.
What are your dreams and aspirations for the rest of your life, whatever your current age is? Finding myself now in my 7th decade of residing here on this planet, I plan to take charge of my life. Act not react in the time I have left, find my unique voice and use it.