The year is coming to a close and many of us will start to think ahead to 2020 hoping it may be better than 2019. I believe that's how it should be too, to some extent at least, although the hope part concerns me somewhat - You see, hope doesn't get things done. Action get's things done. (It's ok if you want to disagree of course.)
My 2020 will begin with an honest appraisal of 2019; How the year measured up, and a solid understanding of my performance in pursuit of my 2019 goals. This will help to determine areas for improvement, build on the good, amend the bad and forward-plan to make 2020 a better one. Hope doesn't come into it.
Having goals can mean experiencing failure and many tie themselves to previous failures, a condition I feel inhibits future growth and development.
Just a word on failure here...I love it right! If you read my work often you'll know that. Failure prepares us for success and brings us closer to it with each failure - It is not a bad thing, unless we fail and the fail to re-try! Becoming too attached to it can be limiting though - It's a tool used to aid forward movement, not a comfortable place to curl up and die.
Attaching failure to oneself, and failing to re-try, is like a ship with mooring lines fixed firmly to the dock, in a safe harbour; It can't set sail for the open ocean, seek the trade winds to carry it forward.
Safe harbours may feel comfortable, some may even try to convince themselves it's better to be safe and comfortable, but I'm not so sure.
It wasn't safe and comfortable that made you stand and walk as a one year old...It was the sense that you wanted more out of life that made you stand, fall, stand, fall, stand, fall and bump your head, stand, take one step, fall, stand again, fall, stand and take another step...I could go on all day here...But I'll fast forward to the end...You walked. You succeeded, after many failures. You see, we are not born with a fear of failure. We acquire it.
We often fail to attain our goals and, instead of ticking it off as one more way NOT to do a thing, we seek a safe harbour and simply stop trying, deciding to give more importance to the fear of failure than to the success we originally sought. We tie those mooring lines nice and tight and stay comfortably within the set confines of our paradigm...Because it feels comfortable. It's life-inhibiting to do so though.
We're able to cast off those mooring lines though; It's a simple choice we can all make, and one that lies within all of us. One only needs to determine that the importance of achieving a thing outweighs the fear of the failure that may come from attempting it.
I've never been much for new year resolutions as I believe that's not a good way to move into a new year; i prefer goals. New years resolutions are simply statements, often made with no plan attached.
I have always found it better to evaluate the previous year, determine what went right or wrong and why, set new goals (and a plan around achieving each one) then cast off the mooring lines, hoist the sails and steer the tiller for the harbour mouth...It's out there where my sails have the best chance to catch the wind and move me forward towards those goals. A simple analogy, but a very powerful one to me as it brings the right attitude and attitude is everything.
Below are the elements that make up a goal in case you're wondering.
Overcoming the fear of failure isn't an easy thing however it's essential if one is going to cast off those mooring lines holding them back. Doing so has advantages though, as does failing itself. My dad used to to tell me that failure prepares one for success and that ethos has stuck with me throughout all my failures.
Essentially though it all comes down to choice...Cast off the mooring lines and set sail towards those things you value the most, or not. I find right now is a great time to start doing this as 2020 starts soon, and as we know, life waits for no one.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default
