During the last week of December and first week of January, things start to slow down, giving you time to reflect and then plan for the new year. You have to look deeper at the most important areas of your life like making the most of what you have and watering the grass of where you are before you venture out to find greener pastures. We are all “ Works in Progress’’ –requiring some carving, assembling, modelling and casting to release the final version of oneself, over the years.
“I saw the angel in the marble and curved until I set him free.’’– Michelangelo Buonarroti.
Reflection demands that you step back and look at the previous year critically; to define what you achieved and how you achieved it and what you failed to achieve and why. You have to pick some lessons from the total experience. You then reconnect the findings with your life desires and goals.
At the end of the day, you use this information to plan how you will get things done to get where you want to go in the new year.
You need to determine your goals for the year, plan how to achieve them and then get to work. Achieving your main goals in your personal life and at work serves to improve your life.
Your lifetime desires and goals have to be broken down into yearly goals which are then broken down into monthly, weekly and finally into daily goals. Small achievable goals add up to build your lifetime goal. No doubt, it is a long, lifetime process demanding each one of us to focus on what he/she can control like meeting deadlines and leaving out the uncontrollable ones like crises and the unexpected. You commit to get things done right and within a specified time and before you know it, you will have achieved your lifetime goals.
Many of us fail to achieve our goals mainly because we tend to bite off more than we can chew in a specified time.
Studies by Behavioural scientists reveal that about 85 percent of us abandon our new year resolutions by the second week of February due to a combination of the following reasons:
- Unrealistic goals set beyond one’s capacity and season
- Too many at once
- Not specific
- Not motivational enough
- Lack of willpower
- Being too hard on yourself or fearing failure
- Your environment may limit you
The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but a life without purpose.’’- Myles Munroe
According to the psychologists, having a vision and goals is important because it provides a sense of purpose, direction and motivation which are fundamental to mental well-being and fulfilling existence.
- DIRECTION AND FOCUS
Goals serve as a compass to guide an individual’s focus and energy on what matters most to them. Clarity reduces feelings of aimlessness and confusion.
- MEANINGFUL EXISTENCE – the ‘why’ behind the daily actions become clear and help people to develop the resilience required to face daily challenges and setbacks.
- MOTIVATION AND DRIVE- goals are powerful motivators. They fire up your desire to achieve them. That way, you increase efforts, persistence and proactive behavior.
- HOPE AND OPTIMISM- Goals foster hope and positive action. Believing in a better tomorrow is crucial for psychological health and resilience.
- PERSONAL GROWTH AND ACHIEVEMENT- Life is essentially all about lessons. As you go through experiences, you pick valuable lessons from each one of them whether negative or positive, which you can then use to inform your choices and decisions in future. You have to act in the present to secure the future.
According to projetsmart.co.uk, an American management consultant by the name George T. Doran created the acronym: SMART in 1981. This acronym was to provide a clear, effective framework for writing and managing goals and objectives.
Specific- target a specific area that requires improvement.
Measurable- quantify what you want to improve
Assignable- specify the person to do it.
Realistic- results should be achievable within your capacity and the given resources and season of life.
Time- related. A new year is a perfect time for a fresh start and yet naturally, it comes one day at a time.
The SMART acronym is used to assist managers and individuals to determine achievable, quantifiable targets and track progress. The goals provide you with the emotional energy to move forward and to organize your efforts to improve the chances of achieving success.
It should be noted that writing a SMART goal plan is the easiest part but sticking to it and fulfilling it is the hardest. It requires focus, commitment, courage, patience, determination, and hard work.
As you write out your New year resolutions, you are reminded that the setting of clear goals is the best way of achieving them. The fewer, the higher the chances of achieving them all.
As a senior citizen , I have chosen to focus on two goals in my personal life and another two in my writing career; more so in an environment of uncertainty.
Here are a few African Proverbs to motivate you to fulfill your goals this year.
The one who does not look ahead remains behind.
The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.
Strategy is better than strength.
Do not look where you fell, but where you slipped.
Tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.
May 2026 be your best year yet.
This post should have been up by the 13th of January but due to the Internet blackout two days before the general election, it had to be delayed. Please accept my humble apologies.
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