New Year, New Goals: Reflections and Resolutions
As we move into the new year we find ourselves focused on evaluating what the previous year was like and begin to set goals for the new year ahead. Like an artist starring at a blank canvas we try to envision the life, and achievements we want and the places we will be. The beginning of a new year is always filled with optimism and high expectations towards our goals. We tend to put a lot of weight on our shoulders at the beginning and maybe that is why so many give up on their goals and resolutions in the first month or two of the year. Especially as Americans we tend to go into hyper over drive and allow the chaos and mundane daily grind to take hold of us. Maybe that is why we need to spend more time reflecting and why we should not compare our lives with others who appear to “have it all.”
Reflecting is an important part of the growth process. It enables us to critic the past and all we have done or not, to learn more in order to be better prepared for the new year and able to advance further with our life and goals. For some, no, so don’t dwell on the past, what is done is now long gone, but we sometimes have to dive back into those unfortunate and uncomfortable memories to remind us why we are where we presently are and teach us what we need to improve with.
As humans we all fail and make mistakes. That is ok. So what is it that sets us a part from others? It’s the ability to grow and transform ourselves into a better version of the person we once were. That reflection of the past is a reminder to us that the present reflection in the mirror is someone else, someone better, someone wiser and someone stronger. Reflect on the past but focus on the present.
Focus is key to achieving all the goals that we set for the new year. Without focus you become lost and you aimlessly drift around with no direction. The lack of focus is like driving a car blind. Besides it being dangerous, and hitting lots of bumps, barriers and obstacles we will not be able to drive smoothly to that final destination we want to reach.
The resolutions that we set go hand and hand with the reflections that we learn and grow from. The resolutions are the present dreams and goals, the ideas we have to move forward. These are great to have but without action, they too will become abandoned, lost and drift away.
A strategy that may work is to list all your resolutions and goals down on paper. Hang them up on a wall, the refrigerator or bathroom mirror, someplace you look at on a daily basis. Maybe even write them down in a journal and write about each goal in detail. Write out the steps you will take, and hold yourself accountable by marking off all the steps you complete or don’t.
The future is yours. It is whatever you want it to be. Set your dreams and goals high, but don’t forget to reflect, learn, move on, and take the necessary actions you need to achieve in the present. There are two of you, the reflection in the past and the reflection in the present starring back at you in the mirror. Which reflection do you want to focus on and what version of yourself do you want to see and be in the future.