“The dream is free. The hustle is sold separately.” – Steve Harvey***
We have once again been blessed, yes blessed, to arrive at this point in time when the year is about to change its numbers by stepping up a notch. We can look at it as stepping up a notch in number, going from 2020 to 2021 and stepping up a notch in terms of the effort, excitement and intensity we intend to offer towards the life and leadership we choose to live out.
This is my last post for the year 2020, so I want it to be meaningful and lasting. Maybe so meaningful that you spend time on multiple occasions rereading it in 2021 because it has that much impact on what you have to do… may it motivate you to becoming more.
I’ll keep it brief. I don’t usually run out of things to say, and today is no different, however, because 2020 has been all that it has been… and it has been exhausting to some degree for so many… I don’t think I need to say more than what needs to be said.
The Value of Writing Resolutions
Each year, we write New Year’s resolutions in an attempt to set goals for the new year. These are usually goals that could have been set any time of the year but for some reason we think setting them up in royal fashion on a cumulative list, possibly in the company of others, possibly sharing with others, possibly placing in the church prayer basket or on the prayer wall, possibly posting, pasting or plastering them in some creative location in some imaginative or artistic way, will make them miraculously come to fruition and all our dreams come true.
Well… I am a positive person. I am a woman of faith. I do believe all things are possible through Christ, who strengthens me. I also believe, nothing is impossible for God. So naturally, with His help, I can accomplish anything on a list of things to do. I also, however, think that life is short. Our days are numbered and nothing comes to a sleeping dog but a dream (My Dad’s version of an old saying). We have to do our part.
We write these resolutions because:
1. These are goals we want to accomplish
2. These are goals that are important to us
3. We recognize that our lives need a boost of improvement in one or more areas
4. We need a documented reminder of what our goals are for a better life
5. More than likely these are not frivolous goals but are goals that have lingered in our minds long term
Choosing Goals & Resolutions for Change
We come up with goals and resolutions based upon what we want to do differently in life. So now is that time to contemplate what we want to do differently. We are still in a pandemic so there may still be some limitations for a while but we are still living and still have an opportunity to make a difference. What is that difference and what are the opportunities? In some ways, some of us just want to be more practical. Maybe a very realistic goal is to actually accomplish a goal! In my December 15, 2020 post, “Three Simple Reasons We Procrastinate,” there are tips to help us stop putting things off. Use those tips to get started in making the changes that you need to see.
Let’s get something meaningful done. Let’s keep the goals and resolutions balanced between the lofty (writing that book, recording that song, enrolling in school, getting a new job etc.) and the practical (cleaning out that garage, getting rid of that junk in the backyard, making a study out of that junk room in the back of the house, apologizing to our parents for being such a pain, calling relatives more often etc).
Keep Goals & Resolutions Realistic
Lofty can be realistic and practical can be realistic. Just be realistic. Don’t plan to climb Mt. Everest when you know A. You won’t have much vacation time accumulated to take such a vacation, B. You hate heights, C. You hate cold weather and D. You only include this goal because someone you love wants to climb Mt. Everest. That is not your goal so don’t waste time making it your resolution. All this will accomplish is that you will have yet another reason to criticize yourself for missing it on another goal. We do silly things sometimes and then spend months trying to reconcile the outcome of our silliness, or worse yet, blaming someone else for it.
This year, even if we are tempted to come up with what seems to be a generic, broad-based goal, like Be a Better Leader, think of what makes you less than the best. The answer is more than likely the real goal. If we aren’t the best leader because we don’t speak up enough, then speaking up is the actual goal. If we aren’t the best leader because we lose our temper too much, then anger management may be the goal but it may also be finding out why we have an anger problem in the first place! Believe it or not, some anger issues can have underlying causes that people are totally unaware of and therefore have never addressed. If you know you are moody or just downright mean, decide that this year you are going to find out what causes you to be this way. Resolve that you will not wallow in it but you will take ALL of the necessary steps to rectify the problem and you will then make the CHANGE. Resolution Complete!
The #1 Way to Accomplish Your Goals & Resolutions
We’ve talked about the Why of goals and resolutions and we’ve talked about the What in setting goals and resolutions, now we should talk about the How. That is a very important part of the process. It’s the part that can make the entire process null and void when we do not get things done. If you are reading this, you are probably a leader, want to be a leader or are in the business of training leaders. While I believe some people are not cut out for leadership because they refuse to learn how, the reality is, most of us are actually born to lead; and we are going to end up leading a family, a tribe, a team, a company or a person, one way or another; so learning what it means to lead is important. Because we have these brushes with leadership, we all know, to some degree, how to go about getting a task done. We think through what has to be done, write down the steps if it’s a complex process, so we won’t forget, determine the proper order of the steps, decide additional resources that are needed (money, people, spaces etc) then implement the plan. As Pastors have said since the 1800’s, (and mine was no different), Plan your work and work your plan.
The one part that we all need to add to the How, is my favorite Nike slogan. No matter Why we do it, no matter What we’re trying to do and not matter how much we plan and plan to work the plan, it still comes down to one important reality. It has to get done. So as I close, remember the leading, most important way to accomplish our goals and resolutions is simple – Just Do It!
See you here again in 2021!