To start the year right, turn dreams into goals

 

Happy New Year everybody! I can just imagine the gleeful smiles and joyful New Year greetings that will happen for the rest of the week. We have a fresh spring in our step and hope for a prosperous New Year ahead.

We have every reason to celebrate after surviving the almost apocalyptic year that was 2020. We were in a rush to cancel 2020 and move headfast into 2021 after facing all the misfortunes that accompanied the past year. Now that 2021 is here, how ready are you for it?

I have always believed that people get lost in the fantastical aspect of the New Year unrealistically. They somehow believe the end of the Earth’s revolution around the sun and beginning of a new one corresponds to a fresh beginning. They believe the start of a New Year equals the beginning of a brand new and exciting adventure. 

Other than the earth completing its revolution around the sun without any serious cosmic incidences, the New Year is just another Friday. There is nothing extraordinary about the day where we mark the end of a revolution and the start of a new one that will take another 365 days to complete. New Year is not a supernatural incident that will magically wipe our slates clean or give us a fresh start. 

New Year’s is only an opportunity that is gifted to us by time. It is an indicator of the constant movement of time. New Year’s Day allows us to put into perspective the value of time. For some strange reason, we only seem to value the passing of time through the number of years. Think about it, you never really remember your greatest achievements in form of days; rather, you remember them by the specific year. When we measure the concept of time in years, we get to appreciate the experiences we had in the previous years and we set new goals for the forthcoming year.

That being said, let us circle back to the last question: how prepared are you for the year 2021? Stepping into a new year is like stepping into a brand new day. You want to forget all about the bad day you had yesterday and focus all your energy on having a productive day. The beginning of the year is best utilised by preparing ourselves mentally to face the unknown. We ought to set intentions for positive outcomes that we want to achieve in the course of the year. These intentions become the guiding light on how we choose to live through the rest of the year.

The first of January is like the transition period that is crucial to starting the year right. January 1 is what I would call an introspection day. You look back at the year that has passed to see how far you have come. This means appreciating all the good and bad that you have gone through in the past year. Because those experiences got you to where you are now. No regrets but appreciation for the detours and difficult paths you had to navigate to get to this point.

It is only by appreciating how far you have come that you can confidently gaze upon the future with a determination that reflects on your readiness to accept the challenges that lie ahead.  

This is what it means to start the year right. Focusing one’s energy on the goals, they want to achieve. These goals do not have to be yearly goals, they can be part of a bigger goal, but they are a step towards your ultimate destination.

Therefore, take some time out to yourself this year, introspect on your journey thus far and contemplate on your path ahead. Figure out what goals you would like to achieve in the forthcoming year and put all your energy and drive into achieving your dreams. Like the American author Napoleon Hill famously said, “A goal is a dream with a deadline."