Two great beasts were thirsty and arrived at a small watering hole at the same time to drink. They fiercely disputed which should drink first and soon were engaged in a mortal battle. After several advances of attack, they both stopped to catch their breath. When they looked up, they saw vultures circling above waiting to feast on the first one to fall. The beasts at once reconciled from their quarrel saying, “It is better for us to be friends, than to become the food for vultures.”
The New Year can seem like this when the resolutions you made with yourself in the past year do not come to fruition. You can come up with all the reasons why you fell short and battle with yourself. Or you can notice the vultures circling and come to an agreement with yourself to do better and greet the new year as a new opportunity to reinvent, reposition, rethink, repurpose, remind, and revise your goals. If you reflect on what worked and do more activities that won you success, you won’t dwell on what didn’t work.
Time will pass whether you choose to do something to improve yourself or not, therefore it makes sense to try and take past successes and combine them with a goal you can achieve for an outcome that gets you to where you wish to go. There will always be interruptions that will deter you and make you lose focus on the goal you wish to achieve. It’s bound to happen. Take it as a short break and start once more.
I have many friends who tell me they want to write a book. I will smile and ask, “How many pages have you written so far?” The topic usually changes quickly. I have been trying to write a book for years. Each year I set it as a goal, and I seem to always fall short. I have written hundreds of pages. Many of my stories have nothing to do with each other. That’s OK. Many do and they can be woven together into an interesting grouping of ideas. Instead of sitting down and writing a book, I decided to write short essays at least monthly. Eventually I will have enough material for the basis of a book. I set a goal that would not work in a traditional way, so I structured it in a way I can and will make it happen.
There are many paths to create your success. Just start with something small. Tweek it as you go. Be persistent in your work. Be determined in your outcome. Celebrate your small successes. Rinse and repeat. I have found once I deconstruct my goals or opportunities down into small, bite size pieces, over time they come together.
At the end of the year there is always a countdown to the New Year. Why not create a countdown to the new you. Write your own top ten ways you will need to meet your goals this year. There are many books and blogs on the internet that can help guide you.
Here are mine.
Start. Set time aside each day to advance your goal.
Dream. Envision what your outcome will look like.
Write the steps to achieve your goal. If you write it down, there is a record of your movement, and you’re more likely to hold yourself accountable.
What is the time frame to accomplish your goal? Set your days, weeks, months, or year up to help you achieve success.
What resources do you need to accomplish your goal? What things, people, money, etc. will you need to outline your success?
Focus on your outcome. When you achieve your goal what will it look like and then work backward.
Stay determined and persistent in reaching your goal. Situations will arise and events will seem to get in your way. Don’t lose sight of the prize.
Adjust to any obstacles you encounter. You may need to temporarily reassess your goal, time frame, or needs. Setbacks can bring out creative solutions for success.
Celebrate your achievement and evaluate your next step. Enjoy the outcome of your success. Enjoy the completion of the journey. Then think, how can I challenge myself to make it better.
I read a story of a Rabbi’s mother who would tell the following. “There was a tall tree in the yard of her home. The neighborhood children used to climb up and would often fall out of the tree. When the Rabbi was young, he would climb up and reach the top of the tree without falling. When asked, “How is it that you don’t fall, and all the other children fail to make it to the top?” Her son responded, “As others climb, they look down and get frightened and fall. When I climb, I continually look upward.”
Like the wise sage, keep looking upward and your success will be achieved.
https://open.spotify.com/show/7FqEyZLXxp2lGzTYBcS9hQ
