Ecclesiastes 7: 8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit
The dawn of a new year brings joy and excitement! All forms of personal contacts buzzle with many happy pleasantries pouring in from friends and family all over the world! Such greetings are usually characterized by words of hope regarding the potentials that come along with the birth of a new year. In the frenzy of the moment, people make resolutions and renew commitments as they suddenly awake to the potentials of new opportunities ahead!
How fast the excitement gives way to the challenges, stress, and difficulties that emerge as the year progresses. Their once zealous or ambitious desires are beginning to wear out and not able to keep pace with the challenges of the day! However, the most important pathway to achieving success in any endeavor is to `follow through` – a simple but complicated phrase/process.
Whatever you are hoping to achieve this year, you have to keep this phrase in view, no matter the disappointments, stumbles, failures, challenges or frustrations. The pathway to victory is never paved with roses, but instead dedication, commitment, and determination.
One of the other reasons why people never achieve their dreams is because they fail to plan. It’s often said that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Now that you have excitedly identified the things you’d like to achieve this year, the next step is to create a workable plan towards your goals. The following steps will guide you into creating a personalized plan for each of your endeavors. Respond to the questions below by writing your answers in a journal or digital space.
What – What endeavor are you hoping to work on? What specific goals are you looking to achieve? Identify specific items on your list of interests, one at a time. For the purpose of this write-up, let’s assume your endeavor is to take a course.
Why – Why is it important for you to achieve this dream? Most times, clearly defining the reason behind the `what` keeps you emotionally invested despite the associated challenges or difficulties. A typical response could be that taking a course will enhance the skills required for your career advancement.
How – How do you plan to achieve this dream? How will you accomplish this endeavor? Would you take an online course, or a face-to-face class? Find out your options and see what works best with your budget and schedule.
Where – Where do you hope to achieve this dream? What venue will it be? This particular question may only apply to certain endeavors. For the purpose of taking a course, which training school are you looking at?
When – Finally, when do you hope to achieve this dream? Your plan is not complete until a time element has been assigned. For the course, you could assign a month and day – e.g. June 5, 2020 (if it’s a one-day course).
The model above is a template that can be applied to any dream project of your choice. It creates a workable plan that positions you for success in each of your endeavors this year! Happy 2021!