New Year’s Resolutions – I am not a fan. But I am goal oriented. So I’ve been thinking of my resolutions that I don’t call resolutions I call goals because I don’t like resolutions. I realize they maybe the same thing. Indulge me?
I don’t like the word resolution because I see a lot of people resolve to do things in a new year and then I either do not see that resolve come to fruition or I only see it until mid February. It mimics my frustrations with people in general – saying you are going to do something and then not doing it. I am also guilty of this, which prompted my language change from resolution to goal.
Resolution is to make a definite and serious decision to do something. A goal is something that you are trying to do or achieve. For me the difference is the word ‘trying’. And trying is the key to so many things. My friends Grandmother said that you have to try something three times before you say you can’t or you won’t or you don’t. I like that rule and we’ve incorporated it into our house rules because things change, people change, tastes change, opportunities change and motivations change.
After our youngest’s first attempt at riding her bike without training wheels, she promptly stated ‘I can’t do it.’ So I employed the rule, you have to try three times. Second time, she only got about one rotation on the pedal, but the third she was off and away for a short distance. That gave her the confidence to keep riding until she mastered it. She tried a little harder.
Most years I set fitness goals, like how many races I want to run or what race time I want to work for then I sign up for a race and the rest just falls into training. But this year I don’t have a goal, so I was thinking about what I want to focus on, where do I want to throw my efforts. What do I want to be different about 2015?
I have a very big project that will take up a good chunk of my time the first half of this year, but then I have another six months? And since I wasn’t sleeping last night I spent some time considering my options. I could chose another race, I could target getting stronger with weight lifting or adding swimming to my exercise routine? Nothing seemed to grab onto me, which in and of itself is surprizing.
Where I landed, admittedly needs some work, but what I want to be different in 2015 is that I want to try harder. At what you may ask? Well, I want to try harder at being the kind of woman that I can be; try harder to be kinder, to be stronger in voice for the things I think matter, try harder at the living the golden rule of treating others as I would like to be treated, trying harder to forgive everyone; including me. Trying harder to keep my word or not give it if I think I can’t, try harder to be understanding of others areas of improvement and try harder to be just, well, be better.
All day I’ve had that thought in the back of my mind of trying harder, how will I do this, how will I keep on top of it, what will I do when I falter or want to give up, what will I do to measure my own success? I don’t have all the answers yet, but I think I’m on the right track.
What if we all tried just a little bit harder to be the people of excellence we were designed to be? What do we have to give up to try harder? Ego? Image? Righteousness? Injury? Self deception? Comfort?
What do you have to try harder at to be the kind of leader you want to be? Is there a positive impact if you try harder? Will it be a good example that you understand you can improve? Will they follow your example? Will they understand that they can try harder?
It is January 5th and my goal for 2015 is to try harder.
“You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.” Woodrow Wilson