December 31, 2020

As this past year finally ends, many of us are thinking about what we hope 2021 will hold for us. For me, there’s a sense of recovery, reconnection, new beginnings, and that spectacular sense of hope.

You may be searching for a new job or a different opportunity at work, a new or strengthened relationship, to apply to college or finish your degree, to lose weight, or to find a new hobby. I usually try to have at least one goal or resolution each year, but I don’t always make them at the beginning of the year. Many times, as the year progresses, I might consider one or two more as time goes along.

For me, goals are important to make, to write down on paper.  So this year, even if I do not accomplish my goals, my resolutions, I think it’s important to make them and write them down.  Here’s why:

• They help us focus where we want to be, who we want to be, and what we want to accomplish in the new year. It’s a way to reflect on what’s important to us and to move in a positive direction. So my resolutions will be how to make myself a better person, and in turn, these will also help people around me.
• They give us focus and stability. Writing goals/resolutions keep me grounded and focused on what is truly important. I try to make my goals/resolutions stepping stones toward something bigger, something better. The stability of my goals are just as important to me as to actually attain them.
• They can help us take better care for ourselves. When we do this, we take the pressure off the performance part of it. It’s the process, anyway, that’s the most interesting part of learning, right?
• They can help us impact others in positive ways. Let other people know what you’re doing and what your goals are. Then you will have cheerleaders and encouragers behind you, plus you will be an encourager for them with their new goals.
• Post them! These past few years, I make only a few goals/resolutions–sometimes only a list of three. A list of many is only setting myself up for failure. Then I post them, on my fridge door, where I will see them every day!

Happy, Happy New Year!  My wish for you is that 2021 will be a year of success and some new things.  And always be prepared for a few surprises!