Happy New Year!
I am excited to embark on a brand new journey with you this year! Each new year begins a new chapter in the book of our lives. With that said, the greatest knowledge we can attain is that we have the power to write our own stories.
“When writing the story of your life, don’t let anyone else hold the pen.” -Harley Davidson
At the end of each year I begin to write down what I want to accomplish for the next year. The first day of the year, I spend going over everything and then setting up a game plan. No, there isn’t a white board with a million notes, or a calendar with a regimented schedule of every detail. Instead, I simply have a list with potential target dates next to each. Some goals are defined and outlined, yes, such as physical events, but the non-tangible goals simply have dates next to them nonetheless, of which I can follow up on at that time to check in and mark my progress.
“The List” is comprised of short-term goals, those I know I can accomplish in a short period of time within the year (ie putting away $100), in addition to my long-term goals, those I know will take time to complete over the course of the year (ie putting away $1,000).
Goal setting is the most powerful tool we have when it comes to our own personal progress. Beyond that, checking in is the biggest step in the process. Checking in with ourselves consistently keeps us accountable and resolute in accomplishing our goals.
It is important to note that some of the goals you set may be accomplished early, some late, and some not at all. This is all ok. I have set goals for the long term that I managed to accomplish early, and others that were meant to be shorter term, ended up taking much longer than anticipated. In other cases, a goal was completely abandoned, for no other reason than the fact that I found I had little to no interest in accomplishing it once I got involved. Shit happens, but you move on.
This year, as you move toward accomplishing your goals, remember that as important as it is to declare what you are going to do, it is more important to actually do it. Less talking, more doing. And, on that note, I am signing off.
What do you want to accomplish in 2019? Write your goals in the comments or e-mail me directly, Nicholas @bestgentleman.com
Best,
Nicholas Lucin