Thread by @ShaanVP

🧠 3 years ago - I created a new framework for New Years Resolutions.

Year after year I would set New Years Resolutions (the same ones every year) and fail to reach them.

Am I doing this wrong? Am I just weak minded?

Then I found this, and switched up my new years routine

I wasn't alone in failing at my new years resolutions.

Not only do 90% of people give up on their new years resolutions… on average they fail by January 18th (known as “Quitters Day”)

It makes sense. If you were waiting for an arbitrary day to decide to change - you probably weren't that commited to begin with.

So instead of making plans for the future, use new years as a moment to reflect

They don't teach us this in school, so here's a framework for it👇

We all just want "the good life".

What the hell is that anyways? More money? More time? Better looks? More romance? Bigger house?

As it turns out, there are 5 key areas that contribute most directly to our quality of life.

The 5 areas are...

1-HEALTH
2-WORK
3-PLAY
4-LOVE
5-SELF RESPECT

So every year, around december 30th, I take out my "Life Dashboard" and write down all these areas.

Here's mine, and I'll put a blank one at the bottom of the thread in case you wanna do your own.

I am like a mechanic, doing a quick check under the hood of my life. How's the engine? oil? battery? etc..

This exercise takes like ~10 mins, yet is one of the most useful ways to step back and be honest with how things are going.

Honest is a key word there. You would think people are too generous...but what i've found sharing this with friends is that too many people are too hard on themselves.

They are the simon cowell of their own life.

Here's the trick to get the scoring right

Don't think about a "5" as "i'm happy with where I'm at and don't want any improvement of this area". We never really "finish" any of these areas.

You're scoring "how's it going" in each area. Are you satisfied at the direction & pace this part of your life is moving?

For example, last year HEALTH was my lowest score (it was a 2)because I was fatter than ever, and was stress eating & making excuses

This year I gave it a 4. Not because I have a 6-pack, but because I am going the right direction.

Started working out 6x a week &eating clean

LOVE (relationships)
▓▓▓ ▓▓▓ ▓▓▓ ▓▓░░ ░░░░ 3.5 out of 5

I got "comfortable" at home, and didn't bring my A-game like when we first met.
​
I believe: "if you do what you did at the beginning, there will never be an end"

Gotta get back to "1st date shaan"

PLAY (the stuff you do for fun, with no goals. the fun is the act of doing it)
▓▓▓ ▓▓▓ ▓▓▓ ▓▓▓ ░░░░ 4 out of 5

I'm happy with this...even though it's way less than it used to be. Having a baby = instead of sports & video games, my playtime is now cocomelon🤣

WORK (the stuff you get paid to do)
▓▓▓ ▓▓▓ ▓▓▓ ▓▓▓ ▓▓░░ 4.5 out of 5

I am strong here. I enjoy mondays. I enjoy my day job at Twitch, startup investing (~$3m/yr), and my content side hustle (podcast ~3m downloads, twitter now ~45k followers)

SELF RESPECT
▓▓▓ ▓▓▓ ▓▓▓ ▓▓▓ ▓▓░░ 4.5 out of 5

Even if everything is going great on the surface - this one is the dealbreaker.

How do I feel about myself? Do I like the person I'm becoming? This year the answer is yes. I'd want to be my friend.

OK so that's the reflection. I then go on my calendar, and schedule a checkin every 4 months.

Most people get caught up in the HOW. How will I fix these? I start with the measurement. "What gets measured gets managed"

STEP 2: I sit and visualize what my life looks like if these are all FULL bars. All 5s.

At first it's a bit hard to imagine. For each one, I try to create a little 2 second GIF of what life is like when those are done. Eg. my body at full health, play etc..

LAST STEP - sitting around and measuring & imagining will only take you so far. What's some ACTION we can take today to move the needle.

Forget long term habits or commitments. What's something you can do in the next 24hrs.

This is an example of my "ABZ Framework"

Too many people get caught up in the HOW. How do I go from A -> B -> C -> D -> E etc..

All you need is ABZ:
A = where are you now
B = next small step
Z = end vision

@jackbutcher visualized this beautifully.

https://twitter.com/jackbutcher/status/1343732490259861504?s=20

that's it.

10 mins of measuring where you are (life dashboard)
10 mins of visualizing what life looks like when it's FULL
10 mins of planning a simple, decisive first action you can take.

Action leads results.. results reinforce your beliefs...beliefs drive more action.. .

Blank template for you to use to do this yourself.

For more frameworks like this, lightly tap the Follow button & subscribe to the newsletter where I go into more depth: --> shaanpuri.com

Big inspiration for this came from designingyour.life, a book about this topic!