New Year's Resolutions

I'm not a huge fan of New Year's Resolutions. This time of year we always see people stating "I’m going to give up this" or "I'm going to do more of this", and then as the month of January passes those goals slowly are forgotten and eventually the end of the year arrives with yet another list of goals. Perhaps it is because the goals set are always so large that they cannot possibly be dealt with, or perhaps it is that people do not know how to break a goal down into tasks, and perhaps it is because the goals are not truly believed in, they were just made because "That's what you do".

If you are going to set a goal and are new to goal setting my advice is to set one you can break into manageable tasks. Have a plan of attack as to how you're going to meet the goal, but also how you're going to track your progress. Write check in dates on your calendar so that you know when to check in. Keep a daily or weekly log of your progress toward the goal, including changes you make along the way toward your goal. You’ll want to map out all of your steps before you begin to ensure success. So making a goal, in short, is more than just saying you are going to do something, it is making a plan to do so.

Now, as it comes, not all goals stay the same and sometimes they simply take longer to achieve. By keeping a daily journal or weekly journal you’ll be able to decide which the case is. If a goal changes mid-stream that is ok, this occurs in teaching all of the time. It simply means that the first goal was perhaps not the best fit at that moment in time. If the goal takes longer than expected it simply means that at this time in your life this is the pace you are able to progress. Do not be hard on yourself and allow the goal to progress at the pace it is meant to progress.

My final advice is that you need to be patient. You need to allow the goal to blossom in its own time. Many of us are stuck in that fast foods get it now mindset and we forget that the best things come to those who wait. It doesn’t mean you are not working. The farmer works daily and yet waits patiently as his crops blossom. Your hard work will pay off in its own time.