Charles Dickens once wrote in his novel A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” But this is only part of the sentence. The rest goes, “it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only. “
These written parallelisms are not only a comparison to the period the novel was published but through the ages and for every generation. At any time in history these words can ring true. We have all went through the worst and best of times. I’ve even had moments of wisdom and more moments of foolishness.
What the first paragraph of the book doesn’t say is that we have some control. We can brush off the winter of despair and welcome in the spring of hope. But with the coming of the New Year most view making resolutions as either a frivolous activity or they refuse to even consider such a thought. Past failures lessen the motivation to do more.
It would seem it is the worst time of the year to make goals but it can be the best time.
First, you have to be clear on what your goals are going to be. A goal is not just some generalized declaration. You have to put thought behind it and figure out what your desired outcome will be.
For example: Losing weight is usually the top resolution or goal of most people. Your goal can’t just be “I want to lose weight.” Failure is easily attainable when there is no measure to your success or not. Success is easily attainable because when you lose just one pound then you have accomplished your goal. But that’s not what you really want, right? Is that the desired outcome?
For me, everything always comes to “WHY”. Why do you want to lose weight or accomplish this or that goal? Answer that question and you will be closer to making a resolution that has purpose.
Example: Why do you want to lose weight? Maybe it’s because you don’t like your appearance and you want to be healthier. It’s not anyone else’s opinion of your appearance but what you think. What is that going to take? How many pounds do you have to lose and what is a healthy weight for you?
At this point, things start getting clearer and the goals come into a more specific focus.
Once a specific goal is established, the hard work begins. You have to commit to your goal. And there is no guarantee of success. Most will fail along the way toward their goal. I think it is to your benefit that you do fail on your path.
Everybody is different, you have to find “your” way and what works best for you. In search of that way, you are going to stumble and take a few steps backward. Being committed toward your goal means you get past those blocks and take a few extra steps.
I recommend everyone make at least one goal for the New Year.
What do you want in your personal life? Be it physically, emotionally, or financially. And even spiritually. Make a specific goal and commit to it.
Instead of having nothing before us, make a goal and have everything before us.
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