We’re all looking forward to the new year. It’s a fresh start in our minds to start something new. What I’m here to ask you to do is to look back. What goals have you set for last year?
Lose weight?
Start a new career?
Go back to school?
Start writing that novel?
How much of those goals that you set for yourself did you actually accomplish? We have this mindset where we think we’ll start something when we have time. The truth is that there is never enough time. And the time to start is now. I’m not a fan of waiting until Monday, or the first of the month, or the new year to start anything. I feel like I’m in this perpetual state of being in limbo where I have the stress of doing something while not actually doing it.
It’s time to commit. If there’s something that you truly want to accomplish, jump in. Doing the things that set us apart from others is hard. None of these things are easy. It’s easy to coast through life, day in and day out. We have become complacent in our air conditioned homes and cars. The second we get met with some resistance, it feels too difficult, we give up. We feel like it’s for others. My wife is in a Masters Program. It’s something that she wants to accomplish. I can tell you that it’s no easier for her than for anyone else. Not only has she gone through the rigorous process to get in. She’s in a very difficult program while being a full time mother working a 40 hour/week job. And She’s making really good grades. Those grades don’t mean that her classes are easy. She works her butt off for those grades.
Nothing worth doing is going to be easy. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it. The time will pass whether you go for it or not. Make a plan. Set deadlines. Most importantly, WRITE IT DOWN. I don’t care if you show it to anyone or not. I think the less people you tell, the better. You’ll get a lot of push back. That push back comes from people that are threatened by your goals. It makes them feel like they’re not doing enough. They love the complacency of their life. They are scared of failure or being talked about by others. In the end, none of that matters. You need to do it for you. You’re not old. You’re not past your prime.
Think about your goals. What did you do last year to reach that goal? Did you make progress? Set a goal. Write it down. Break it down. Get to work.
You’re right where you need to be to start.