New year. New resolutions. New hope and people looking to make a fresh start. It's a starting point for change in some people's lives and a new beginning of sorts. There is always new hope attached to the changing of the calendar.
Yet, some people never change.
You go into the new year with thoughts, ideas, resolutions on how THIS year will be different! This will be the time that you finally make that change, lose the weight, finish that project, get the promotion or kick that guy to the curb!
Then August rolls around and chances are you still haven't made that change, you weigh the same if not more, the project is still sitting there, you've been passed up for promotion and you're making coffee for that guy you were supposed to kick to the curb.
Why?
Because you didn't do anything different to achieve those goals. You didn't realistically or physically map out how you were going to chase down that dream and make it a reality. We all kid ourselves into thinking that just talking about it or thinking about it will make it come true.
Ever since you were a kid you had lofty aspirations. Astronaut. President. Pro football player. These are just some of the dreams we might have had on our 8th birthday. Life gets in the way, you grow up, reality sinks in, doubt and failure become familiar and your dream of throwing a TD pass to win the game is replaced with paying bills and feeding your family. It happens to all of us.
What do you REALLY want to accomplish this year? Goals have to be realistic and not pie in the sky ideas. You can't go from secretary to President of the USA....especially in a non election year! Your aspirations, at least the short term ones, need to be within grasp. Write them down. Put together a list of steps that will need to occur in order to get there. Next to those steps, put a timeline of when you realistically expect for each to occur. Keep this document somewhere you can see it everyday. Share this goal with people you feel will not try to drag you down, or doubt you, and have them help keep you accountable (this is a good one for dieters). When opportunities come up to advance your plan, have the courage to go after them. The promotions opens up that you want? This time actually apply for it! If you don't get it, seek out information to add to your timeline so that you will be better equipped the next time it opens up.
Stop kidding yourself. It's easier to trample your dreams than to go after them. Sharing your goals and dreams with others can be frightening. Listen to what people have to say, but certainly don't let them derail you. Every rapper in the world has "haters" that supposedly fuel their drive and success. Truth be told, those haters might actually be themselves and their internal voices of doubt. We all have that internal voice that doesn't want us to succeed. The key first step is getting beyond that voice and into a positive headspace.
Above all, be real with yourself. Not only when setting the goal-keep it real during the timeline as well. Hold yourself accountable and be relentless in your approach. If you settle, it will always be short of your true expectations and potential. Tell the internal doubter to shut up and get to work. Pull the trigger and be the person on that piece of paper. If you don't, you might as well just wipe your ass with it and call it a day.
#newyear #2013 #resolution #football #goals #dreams
