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The Secret to Sustaining New Year’s Resolutions: Values-Based Alignment

After years of failing to keep my New Year’s resolutions, I gave up. 

But that’s not to say that I gave up on making life changes.

I stopped with the grand declarations followed by the inevitable failure, and instead, I thought about the reasons those changes were significant to me. Those underlying reasons became a core set of values designed to drive every decision I made on a day-to-day basis.

I adopted a philosophy of aligning my decisions—all my choices—to some core values, defined as beliefs I hold sacred.

First, I thought about what I wanted my life to look like if there weren’t a single obstacle in my way. What would bring me peace and joy? I journaled. I asked myself hard questions and had to think about the answers. For example, “Is it good for me to want to be rich? Or is that selfish when there’s so much suffering in the world?” I won’t bore you with my philosophical and existential crises. I will say that following that period of contemplation, I distilled all that angst down to a core set of personal values that look like this:

I want to be

  • financially peaceful
  • creatively free
  • light in obligations
  • politically active
  • image confident
  • ready for adventure

I’ve published a deeper dive on Medium about what those mean, but I can assure you, it’s been a game changer. I no longer feel like I’ve failed on February 1, and that feels like an accomplishment. 

From the entire team at Indie Author Magazine, we hope that 2023 will be your most creative and prosperous year ever. 

To Your Success, 

Chelle

Chelle Honiker

Chelle Honiker

Chelle Honiker is an advocate for the empowerment of authorpreneurs, recognizing the importance of authors taking charge of both their craft and careers. In response to this need, she has founded a media and training company dedicated to supporting these creative professionals. As the co-founder and publisher of Indie Author Magazine, IndieAuthorTraining, Indie Author Tools, and Direct2Readers.com, Chelle’s team of more than 80 writers, editors, trainers, and support staff provides resources and insights that help authors navigate the complexities of self-publishing. Her role as the programming director for Author Nation, an annual conference in Las Vegas, further exemplifies her commitment to fostering a community where authors can grow and succeed. With a career spanning over two decades in executive operations and leadership, Chelle has honed her skills in managing complex projects and delivering impactful training programs. Her experience as a speaker and TEDx Organizer has taken her to many countries, where she has shared her insights with diverse audiences.

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