Every day is a new beginning and the start of a new life.

When the clock strikes 12:00 on New Year’s Eve and we pass into January, people all over the world jump onto the same bandwagon, convincing themselves that the beginning of a new year equates the beginning of a new life. A few months into the year brings the stark realization that this perception is flawed. Most people do not stick to the highly anticipated and pledged New Year’s resolutions, neither do problems miraculously disappear, or magical doors transport us into new lives. Admittedly, we can all agree that things just don’t instantly change as they did in known fairy-tales.  – With good reason of course, since we do live in the “real” world.

We cannot go back into the past and change our yesterdays, but we are keenly aware of the fact that we do have today’s and tomorrows to make different decisions and alter the outcome of similar situations in our lives. Have you ever considered that every day of your life is a new day with new opportunities and a clean slate? You can make Daily Resolutions, not just New Year Resolutions, and any day is suitable for making them. This mindset gives the realization that in the morning, life will grant another opportunity to start anew.

How exactly do we put this into practice?

For one, we need to stop punishing ourselves about missed opportunities or things that happened in the past. What’s done is done and cannot be undone. We need to regard every day as the beginning of a new, better and happier life. We ought to refocus our efforts on what can be done instead of wasting it on regrets. Every day we need to restate our goals and decisions for a new and prosperous life. It is imperative to remember that goals and objectives serve as catalysts for further growth. At the same time, remain open to new ideas and opportunities for ways to achieve the set goal. There is another vital factor that we need to add to our success mix. – The markers or guides. Once our goals are set, we need to call on our markers to guide us.

Now, what exactly are these markers?

Our purpose and our judgments of what is essential in life, directly influence our attitudes towards daily living. Thus, our values are our markers in life. When we speak of values, it refers to our principles or standards of behavior. Roy Disney said,  “It is easy to make decisions if you know you what your values are.” When we make use of them to help us get to our end destinations, we have already accomplished half of our goals. Values are things that we cultivate from within, and we live by these internal rules. So, our values are the invisible forces that direct us and help us in our personal lives. It is up to us to decide how often we adhere to their guidance.

It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are. – ROY DISNEY

Our values can be remedies to transform our own missed chances into realized dreams. For instance, to press the button of Dedication means that I must continuously influence my thinking.  An example of this will be: “I will not procrastinate. I will do this now, even though I don’t feel like it.” If I press on Integrity, I hold myself accountable to behave according to my set goal. And when I call on Faith, I have to go the extra mile to inspire myself and convince my feelings that I am more than what I think I am. I can tell myself every day that I am willing to succeed. The more you say it to yourself, the more profound your convictions will be.

We may wish there was some magic to carry out our decisions, promises and goals. We cannot close our eyes or wish upon a star for our new reality to materialize, but we can stifle regret, refocus and set goals, and follow our markers. With these powers, we are sure to change our lives and make them exciting, happy and fulfilling. Go ahead, jump right into it. Today is always the best time to start afresh.