(photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash)
YESTERDAY, IN PART One of this essay series, I wrote about how choosing your New Year’s resolutions wisely and thoughtfully is so important. Once that’s done, the next step in your resolution is revolution.
In many cases a revolution is not planned in full detail but is a reaction to a need, want or desire. The phrase “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore” comes to mind when I think of a revolution.
It’s like stepping on a scale and realizing that you’ve gained eight pounds and you want it off tomorrow. Your EQ (emotional quotient) talks to your IQ(intelligence quotient) and tells it that the IQ knows what to do to get the weight off. Your IQ plans on going to the gym and doing two-a-days for the first week just to jumpstart the program.
You get up the next morning, find your way back to the gym and start working out. Day One is great. It’s like you never left the gym, and that afternoon you plan for tomorrow. Tomorrow comes, and it’s another great workout so you plan for Day Three.
You wake up on Day Three, and there is a slight problem: Day One’s workout is causing sore muscles. It’s a little more difficult to get out of bed. But your EQ tells you to get up and make it happen, so you do. Day Three’s workout is not as strong as One or Two, and your PQ (physical quotient) kicks in. Your PQ is telling you that it wants to get back in shape, but it can’t be done in one week, so let’s take tomorrow off and we can figure out what to do on the next day.
This is when you discover your SQ — your spiritual quotient, or your will — might not be getting with the program. This is the key to your success or failure. Your EQ, or ego, had a revolutionary temper tantrum and ran everything amuck. Think of your “Q’s” as a set of chakras. If they aren’t in alignment, then you will be out of balance and are setting yourself up for failure. However, you haven’t failed yet.
You have planted your revolutionary flag in the ground. You know what you want to do: lose weight. Now, you need to have a plan. You need to have your spiritual quotient believe in the plan so that it’s sustainable. You want your physical quotient to know that time will be allotted to build up to the level performance that is being demanded of it. Your emotional quotient needs to be in balance to maintain the resolve it will take to get you to your desired result. And finally your intelligence quotient knows that there are setbacks and bumps in the journey, but they are temporary and manageable.
Our country was formed by a revolution, and it took eight years to get the job done. We had loyalist, traitors, setbacks and obstacles. Not everyone was in alignment. However, the SQ of the country was stronger than all the loyalist, traitors, setbacks and obstacles combined, and we gained our independence. You too can gain your independence from what is holding you back in life. Believe in what you want and nurture yourself along the process.
Peter Remington is an executive at Houston CityBook and also a business consultant and life coach. For more information on him and his Prepare 4 More, visit here, or email him directly at Peter@PeterRemington.com. Part One and Part Three of his New Year’s series are also available.
