It’s a new year! We all have resolutions for this year and new things we want to try, but let’s be real, sometimes we set goals without thinking about how realistic or reachable they are. These resolutions can be a sign of how much you’re worried about the future. Goals can be straightforward, and we get so caught up in making them that we forecast without a direct plan. It is just as simple as, “Am I going to set records in track this year?” Saying it is easy, but what about planning for it? This is why sometimes we find ourselves with the same resolutions every year with no changes. When making resolutions, we need to take steps to get to the big picture. You need a plan on how you’re going to make it to the big goal, and it has to be easy to understand for you.
Stopping and thinking
When you need to change, you need a reason why you want to change. Change is a challenge when you’re too used to habits. When changing, you need to have self-control. Calmly and carefully thinking about what you’re doing and saying helps us get to your goal. This is easier said than done, especially when you’re frustrated, but it’s that self-control that you need to master.
Listening can change you
When people talk about listening, they usually mean that they need the other person’s attention. That’s not the kind of listening I am talking about when it comes to making a change. I’m talking about self-listening: taking time to be quiet and carefully listening to your thoughts, even writing down what you’re thinking. This is a start to self reflection and evaluating where you stand. Challenging yourself by asking if your thoughts are what you should be thinking about can help in the mental process of reaching your goals. Knowing what you’re thinking can help you know more about yourself.
In addition to listening to yourself, “listening on the outside” is also important. It is the listening you use in a new place where you know just a little bit or nothing at all. You have to be quiet and listen to people when observing your environment. I mostly do this when I am learning a new language; it’s very helpful, too, when you want to know a person. This helps with goals and planning because new faces and new places can mean new opportunities to help us get to where we want to go.
In conclusion, let’s all reflect on this quote as we go into this new year, having patience and determination with ourselves:
“Incremental change is better than ambitious failure. Success feeds on itself. Nothing changes instantaneously.”