“Success comes to those who have an entire mountain of gold that they continually mine, not those who find one nugget and try to live on it for fifty years.” -John C. Maxwell
New Year’s resolutions are often criticized. Most often, they should be. Inspired for the first part of January, we look forward to our new goal. Soon we hit a wall, and realize that we are living the exact same way we were living a few weeks ago. We get comfortable, and our resolution waits until next year. Our next thought: why did I even try? I’m offering a new look at a resolution. Most resolutions look something like, “I’m going to lose 10 pounds.” But what comes next? Even if you reach the 10 pounds, what comes next? Instead of a short-term goal that lasts, at most, a month, we should be shooting for a resolution that will stick with us our whole life. Imagine adding one new characteristic, skill, or element to your life every year. Think of the things you could accomplish. Rather than wanting to lose 10 pounds, dedicate the year to developing a healthy lifestyle that will last for a lifetime. I guarantee, if you are out of shape, you will lose the 10 pounds you wanted to lose. If you have a hard time with sticking with goals, you can start with something small. Maybe you’re inactive and spend too much time watching TV. You can start by limiting your TV time by 30 minutes per day. In that time, you could do something much more meaningful and fulfilling than watching a re-run of Seinfeld. If you think of yourself as well-disciplined, shoot for something bigger. Maybe take a year to learn a new language. Find something that will drive you to succeed. Also, make sure that you do not try to succeed on your own. Find the people in your life that will support you and keep you accountable. So many great ideas have never developed because they were too daunting for one person to take on. Tell the people that you know will keep you on track. Expand what you know. Think about what you have always wanted to accomplish, and work towards it. You may not be able to give up your life to become a full-time actor (if that’s your passion), but it might be possible to sign up for a local acting class. We were meant to be productive, we were meant to inspire ourselves and others. Fulfill your passions. Keep gaining knowledge.
