We’re nearing the end of the year, and it’s time to review your current goals and what you have achieved. This is also a good time to start thinking about what you want to achieve next year.
If you didn’t start the year with any resolutions, now may be the time to set them and evaluate what you have achieved.
“To be successful you must decide exactly what you want to accomplish, and then resolve to pay the price to get it” – Bunker Hunt.
The only thing you have to fear is not giving 100%. There are no limits to achieving your dreams.
You do not have to wait until the end of the year to write down your goals or resolutions. You can start now and align yourself as the year progresses.
If you live your life without setting goals, you are living an aimless life; you are simply drifting along. It is important to have a written set of goals and work toward achieving them.
I know for a fact that every reasonable human being has a set of aspirations they would want to achieve. You may not have realised it, but even those without written-down resolutions have some sort of aspirations.
If you ask a child what they want to be when they grow up, they will definitely tell you something. Some of the happiest people I have met are those who write down their resolutions and pursue them vigorously.
Writing is a Great Reminder
“You can do anything you put your mind to” – Unknown. Don’t rely on your memory; write down your resolutions and read them often. Writing down your resolutions reminds you what you need to achieve within a set period.
If you are serious about your personal growth, you will write down resolutions that support your intended life purpose. This also acts as a gauge of your life.
You will always assess whether you are moving toward your written resolutions or drifting away, and keep yourself on track.
It takes a lot of discipline to live by your written plan. But remember, discipline is a habit you can learn.
Every day brings its own challenges, but it is also important to fit those challenges into our plans.
Everyone, including those who are successful, faces challenges, but the difference is that they have learned to be more disciplined, which helps them achieve their goals. “Great minds have purpose; others have wishes” – Washington Irvin.
Your written periodical resolutions should support your overall intended life purpose. Use your resolutions to move you toward your life’s bigger picture.
I can assure you that most likely you won’t achieve all your resolutions in the period you set for yourself. Don’t worry about that; the most important thing is that you’ve written them down, and this will keep reminding you as you review your progress.
Give Yourself Genuine Targets
Pair your resolutions with genuine, measurable targets. They will motivate and encourage you as you achieve each resolution you write down.
It is important to challenge ourselves, but these targets should be realistic and achievable. Not achieving your targets within a set period should not limit you or discourage you.
The most important thing is to learn from your failures and keep improving until you achieve your plans.
You can set targets for periodic review, e.g., weekly, monthly, or quarterly, depending on how often you want to monitor your progress.
When setting your targets, please ensure that they can be easily measured and assessed by both yourself and an independent person with whom you have shared them.
Be honest with yourself when carrying out a self-assessment. Remember that only you know yourself better than anyone else. Be honest with yourself before you can be honest with other people.
Reward Yourself
“The highest reward for a person’s toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it” – John Rushkin.
Life is too short. Always reward yourself when you accomplish your goals. Reward yourself only when you have met your set resolutions for that period. This will help keep you motivated to work extra hard, as your mind will look forward to the rewards afterwards.
Keep your rewards modest so they don’t overshadow you with instant gratification.
Look at the bigger picture of what you want to achieve and keep your mind focused on doing what you have to do to achieve your overall intended life’s purpose.
Also, remember that you are not competing with anyone and that success is not a destination but a joyful journey. Personal development and growth are about yourself and not anyone else.
It is your responsibility to stay motivated and focused on the bigger picture of your personal development and growth. I have noticed that many of us like to blame our failures on other people.
But remember that most of the time, we are not forced to make the bad choices and decisions that lead to failure and destruction.
Conclusion
Therefore, I challenge you to review your achievements this year, whether you have resolutions for the current year or not.
The fact that you are not dead means that you must have achieved something, even if it is failure. If you have your resolutions written down, it is time to review them and think about how strong you are going to end the year.
It is also time to start thinking about next year’s resolutions and have them ready as you begin working on them at the turn of the year.