It is that time of the year again.

You know what time of the year I am referring to cause you have seen them all up and down your timeline for the last two weeks.

Time for all the ‘New Year, New Me’ posts. Or the things I’m doing different in the new year posts.

But check it.

A lot of these posts are from the same people that posted the same thing before 2015, 16 and 17 rolled up in here.

Now first, let me just say I am not knocking anyone who has a desire to make certain changes in their life. The first step is admitting you need to make those changes. However, I think a lot of people miss a very important step which almost ensures they will be in the same position at the end of the year that they were in the beginning.

They did not change their MINDSET.

Listen. THIS. IS. THE. KEY.

How do I know this? I had to do it to get to where I am today. I had to do it to allow my purpose to be revealed. I had to do it for peace of mind.

IT. STARTS. IN. THE. MIND.

Think about it. Pun intended.

Lets take working out for instance. You have made a decision that in 2018, you are going to incorporate consistent exercise into your life. Your health is not where it needs to be and your doctor has been encouraging you to begin a fitness regimen. You have kids you want to see grow up and become old so you say you are going to do it for them.

You start out strong in January. You are going to the gym five times a week for an hour. You are feeling good. You are taking your lunch to work. You are eating so much salad you are resembling a garden.

Everything is going good until mid-February when you are put in charge of a big project at work. Your work hours are longer. You are exhausted by the time you leave work. And it is cold.

Working out as a priority slowly fades to black. You look up and it is May. And that energy you had in January has disappeared. You think about the results you did not see. You think about the progress you did not make. You think about the goals you did not reach.

You look up again and it is December 31.

What just happened?

I can tell you what happened. Even though this is one example, it happens across many spectrums.

YOUR. MINDSET. WAS. WRONG.

You changed your actions but did you change your thoughts?

Our minds are sponges. They soak up A LOT if we allow them to.

But what are you allowing it to soak up?

What did you tell yourself when everything changed because of work?

Did you say to yourself – “It is always something.”

Did you say to yourself – “I am never going to lose this weight.”

Did you say to yourself – “I will start up again when I have time.”

If you said any of this then you had already defeated yourself before you had a chance to begin again.

We can be our own worse enemies – speaking death over our own lives.

Listen. Life is not perfect and that is one of the beauties of it. The ups, downs, round and rounds teach us so much about ourselves.

But it is what we tell ourselves in those moments that are tough, hard and challenging that determine how far we go and if we reach our goals. And it tells us everything about how we view ourselves whether we want to acknowledge that or not.

My friend Che says it all the time, “Life is hard.” Yes it is but that is not a bad thing. Hard does not have to be a negative because so many good things come out of hard times.

Hard times breed resiliency, determination, strength, courage, genorosity, creativity, humility, passion, compassion, perseverance, kindness, grace and love.

They help to pull out the good in you, if you allow them too. They also help to reveal those ugly parts that need to be eliminated, redirected or reworked. So do not fight them, embrace them. But embrace them with a thought process that you can overcome whatever obstacle you are facing.

Tell yourself that! Tell yourself how awesome and amazing you are. Tell yourself you are an overcomer. Tell yourself that you will accomplish that goal or dream. Tell yourself you will lose the weight. Tell yourself you will eat healthier. Tell yourself you will become a better you in 2018.

But then do not get upset when you have a “setback.” That is life. And life happens. Remember it is not perfect and it is hard. But what sets you apart is how you respond to it. If you beat yourself down about it then you know what you have done, wasted time you cannot get back. But if you say to yourself, “You know what self, you did not get it done today but you get another chance tomorrow. You can do this!” you will be more likely to get it done than you would be had you taken the other route.

And while I am at it, let me encourage you that when it comes to changing your mindset to one that craves positivity, please be mindful of the things you watch and the people whom you allow to experience you up close. That people part. Yeah, THAT. IS. KEY.

PROTECT. YOUR. MIND.

And watch things change for the better.

Even if your circumstances do not reflect it right away, your actions will. Your responses will. Your approach to life will.

BELIEVE. IN. YOU. Speak LIFE over yourself. Maintain your TUNNEL VISION. Get back UP when you fall down. Live WITHIN the CONFINES of TODAY. Listen to music that UPLIFTS you. IMPLEMENT the plan you wrote down. Converse with people who will KEEP IT REAL with you. Converse with people who INSPIRE you. Converse with people who CHALLENGE you. Take RISKS. And READ, READ, READ.

YOU CAN DO THIS!!! The REAL reward is in the JOURNEY not the destination.

Cheers to 2K18 and those renewed, positive minds that are going to propel you forward into your destiny!