Happy New Year, sober owners! Mike III here. It’s officially 2024 for those keeping track. I have to admit that I’m not big on the idea of celebrating a new calendar year. While it is nice to have a “reset date” that everyone agrees on, changing the calendar doesn’t magically change who we are. These days, I dig continuous improvement and know that change takes time. Resolutions don’t work because we don’t change quickly enough. This issue covers habit building and how to overcome obstacles along the way. | This issue is going out to over 270 men (and some women). Thank you all for your support!  |
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| Now, let’s do this thing… | |  Build Habits
| Building habits instead of resolutions: Habits are automatic routines that are easier to maintain and can help you achieve your goals without relying on motivation. You can learn the skill of building habits by starting small, linking them to your values, and removing obstacles. Tracking your progress and feedback: You can use various tools and methods to track your progress and get feedback on your performance, such as journals, apps, dashboards, mentors, coaches, or peers. Tracking and feedback can help you stay focused, motivated, and accountable, as well as identify areas for improvement. Celebrating your wins and learning from your losses: Success is not only about reaching the final outcome, but also about enjoying the journey and learning from the challenges. You can measure your success by celebrating your wins, no matter how big or small, and by learning from your losses, no matter how painful or disappointing. Celebrating and learning can help you boost your confidence, resilience, and growth mindset.
| |  Overcome Obstacles
| There are many ways to overcome challenges in obtaining your goals and having a successful year. Here are some of the most common and effective ones: | Connect your goals to a “why”: Achieving goals becomes easier when they are meaningful and connected to a reason and purpose. When you understand the “why” behind your efforts, you can eliminate distractions or other tasks that are not in alignment with your desired outcome. Start small and start now: A new goal may require you to make changes to your daily routine, and it can take anywhere between 18 to 66 days to change a habit or create a new one. You are far more likely to succeed if you start by making small behavioral changes now to set you on the right path — as opposed to jumping in all at once and expecting to do things perfectly. Break down the goals: When you are looking at one major goal, you tend to see it as one action. This can be overwhelming and cause you to put it off until a later date. Instead, break that one major goal down into smaller pieces and do one thing every day that gets you closer to it. It will feel much more manageable. Remove obstacles before you begin: Ask yourself, “What could prevent me from accomplishing this goal?” Identify and write down your potential obstacles, excuses, fears, or barriers, and how you will navigate them. Doing this will eliminate much of the power they have on you by making them something you are aware of and can create a plan to prevent. Focus on the positive consequences: Focusing on the positive outcomes of achieving your goals can help you stay motivated and overcome challenges. Think of how you will feel, what you will gain, and how your life will improve when you reach your goals.
| |  Helpful Resources
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Way of Life - An Elegant Habit Tracker | Way of Life can help you improve your self-discipline and achieve your goals by providing a simple and convenient way to track your daily habits. | wayoflifeapp.com |
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Habitica - Gamify Your Life | Habitica is a free habit and productivity app that treats your real life like a game. Habitica can help you achieve your goals to become healthy and happy. | habitica.com |
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Atomic Habits by James Clear | An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones | www.amazon.com |
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Your Best Year Ever by Michael Hyatt | A 5-Step Plan for Achieving Your Most Important Goals | www.amazon.com |
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The TPH Podcast with Dan Harris | Tune in to the Ten Percent Happier podcast with Dan Harris for interviews with meditators, scientists, and authors on meditating, mental health, and much more. | www.tenpercent.com |
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| | HAVE A STRONG DAY is one of my favorite brands. I love the message and have a couple shirts plus several wrist bands & stickers posted around my workspace. Owner Lloyd Sarte has coined it as “mindset club,” check out the website for more about the values they represent. | For every purchase you make, they donate 10% to non-profit organizations that help communities and children flourish. |  TIP: They just extended their New Year Sale for 25% off sitewide until Jan. 8… you can stack that deal with an additional 15% off by using promo code MIKE.
| | |  Support This Newsletter
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| Own Sobriety is my passion project. I do it because I love it and it keeps me grounded to my sobriety. However, it does take a lot of time and some money to run a quality newsletter. If you enjoy the content here and would like to support the project, I have set up a page on Buy Me A Coffee that accepts small donations. As the name suggests, people can donate in $5 increments — approximately the cost of a coffee. If you do choose to support, you’ll be helping to support & inspire modern men living a sober lifestyle. |
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