Leadership guru Robin Sharma's 5 must-make New Year resolutions

Robin Sharma is the author of 'The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari' and 'The 5AM Club', among other books.

A week into the New Year, we are standing by our resolutions. Every year comes with a new energy that drives a person a step closer to a renewed version of themselves.

However, to think of new resolutions every year is a task in itself. To make things easier, we spoke to international writer Robin Sharma, on a recent India visit. Excerpts from a conversation.

Join the 5 a.m. club: Becoming a part of the 5 a.m. club requires a person to wake up early and follow the 20/20/20 rule of twenty minutes exercise, twenty minutes planning or journaling and twenty minutes of study.

This concept was mentioned in Sharma’s bestseller The 5 AM Club: Own Your Morning, Elevate Your Life.

Sharma says this routine helps to maximize productivity, activate your best health and bulletproof your serenity in this age of overwhelming complexity.

People have made Facebook and Instagram groups to help each other follow the 20-20-20 rule. Because simple as it may sound, it is not easy to fall into a new routine. Sharma believes that it takes 66 days to become consistent in doing something.

Take a 24-hour digital detox: Sharma suggests taking a 24-hour break from technology once every week in 2023.

“We have become digital addicts. The latest research says on an average, we touch our phones 2,000 times a day. Two-thousand times. It's unbelievable. And we all know this. Most of what we're looking at are trivial pursuits, for example, to watch Tik Tok videos or binge-watch stuff. To make sure we don’t become slaves to technology, a 24-hour detox from technology is a must.”

This, according to Sharma, allows our mind to think deeply about conversations and things instead of just switching from one thing to another.

Sharma says a digital detox is essential to pump up our creativity. Whenever you’re on a digital detox, pick a book or start a conversation, he added. Sharma loves to read books on positivity, leadership, biographies, and autobiographies.

Start travelling more: This is one of the takeaways Sharma had from 2022 –to travel as much as he can.

“Travelling opens your mind and there is no right age to start travelling. People wait for the right age to travel. But, at the first stage of life, we are all busy with our studies. In the second stage, we are all caught up in our work and in old age, our bodies don’t allow us to take long trips.” So, Sharma suggests just packing your bags and travelling whenever you can.

Get rid of toxic people from your life: A personal favourite, this resolution asks you to expunge your life and your surroundings of “toxic vampires, complainers or dream stealers”.

If possible, distance yourself from that toxic partner, friend or anyone else in life who is sucking your positivity, or just limit your interaction with them. Otherwise, it will hamper your long-term goal, Sharma suggests.

Work toward your ultimate goal: Everyone is born with a purpose and one of the common purposes we all have is to live a happy and satisfying life.

“A happy life is all about focusing on the things that are important versus chasing trivial pursuits. I think unhappy people are those who aren't living their potential, and who are reactively living their life. Honouring your potential, doing amazing work, living your values, having a great family life, being with nature - these are the things that bring joy," he says.

However, in pursuit of your ultimate mission, Sharma says, you shouldn't forget the power of resting and taking days off. “Resting is not luxury, it is a necessity,” he sums up.

During the conversation, Sharma touches upon an important point–the importance of feeling one’s pain. “You can’t force yourself toward positivity. First, it is important to accept your emotions, feel the pain and let yourself cry a bit. Once you are ready, then lead towards your ultimate mission.”

The Everyday Hero Manifesto

Sharma’s latest book The Everyday Hero Manifesto was released in 2021 and has already become an international bestseller. Talking about the book, which he wrote during the pandemic, Sharma says, "All of us have great gifts. My new book is about how we can reconnect with our most powerful selves."

His best-selling books The 5 AM Club and The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari have sold millions of copies in 92 languages, making him one of the most widely read authors in the world.

Sharma decided to quit his career as a lawyer at the age of 25 to pursue stress management and spirituality. Talking about the same, he says, "Yes, I used to be a litigation lawyer and I was very unfulfilled. So I started experimenting with different modalities, tools, and techniques because I felt empty in so many ways.”

His next work is expected to release in March 2023.