There is an excitement mixed with an inherent pressure around the beginning of the year, like we’re supposed to pop out of bed and immediately be a “perfect” version of ourselves. Exercising more, eating right, keeping in touch with friends, being more productive at work, name your area of desired improvement and add it to the laundry list. Whatever it is, we feel like we’re meant to be living up to the expectation of the resolution come January 1.

But now it’s February, and where are we? Some of us may have adhered to our goals for the year and are still going strong. Others may have let our resolutions fall to the wayside, and guilt and shame surely follow.

So this year, the first of a new decade, in an attempt to not fall into the latter category, my close friend and I devised another plan so we can tackle our intended action items and feel proud all year long, not just when we announced our plans for excellence in early January.

(1) Unclothe your fear

My friend and I were both wondering why there were behaviors or activities in our lives which we wanted to change or do, but we just weren’t doing. If it’s for the betterment of me, my world, my business, then what’s the hold up?

A bit of vulnerable digging and a massive dose of honesty later, and I realized that I was scared to do what I had set out to do because then I’d really be putting myself out there. I would be far out on a limb, potentially all by myself, and that would mean that the risk for falling down would be greater and scarier. So I had been holding myself back, not doing or not excelling because it was safer that way. It felt easier not to do than to do so I just didn’t.

But I’m not here to play safe, and neither are you. So get honest about what’s standing in your way. Strip down the stories you’re telling yourself, look Fear in the eye, and release. Fear is no different than Happiness, they’re both emotions. Make friends with all of yourself, including the discomfort.

(2) Make a list, check it twice

Sit down and create a reasonably sized list of what you wish you were doing that you’re not. Take note of what you genuinely want to be tackling so your life is energized by passion and not by obligation.

On the next page of your journal make a list of all that you wish you were doing that you actually are doing. Congratulate yourself for your accomplishments. This exercise should be about looking ahead with excitement and honoring how far you’ve already come.

(3) Connect with a buddy

Think of a person in your life who you can be completely open with at all (well, most) times. Did you eat an entire box of cookies? Did you forget to buy a birthday present for your mother? Did you wear the same pair of underwear too many days in a row? Who do you call to chat when you feel like you’re so embarrassed there isn’t a paper bag large enough for your mishap?

Well pick up the phone and call that person because he/ she will be your new accountability buddy. Encourage the person to jump on your bandwagon of Love and create similar lists as you did in step (2). Every one week, two weeks, once per month, you decide, you and your buddy will connect in person or on the phone to track each other’s progress on your lists. You can break your goals down into manageable tasks for those chunks of time.

For instance, if one of your tasks were – build a website for my business – then you could start deconstructing that into smaller projects like: research website options online, contact tech-savvy friend for advice, brainstorm graphic design vision for site, and so forth.

When you’re standing on the edge of everything that you want and imagining all the ways that you could fall then the first step may seem out of the question. But if you were to hover over the cliff of Life and envision your flight to freedom and joy then all the choices propelling you forward would be engaging and magnificent. Inhabiting your potential may not be easy all the time, but it’s definitely more fun than staring down at the vacancy of the cliff’s bottom.

One. Two. Three.

Jump.