This is the time of year when too many people give up on their goals.
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*If you prefer to listen, there is an audio version of this article on the bottom.*
Every year, we go through the same song and dance. We get excited for a new year—in December—and make plans. We set goals, and plan on making the New Year the best yet.
Life is short. I hesitate to write those words because they’ve become cliché.
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January rolls around, and we can barely contain the excitement. By the end of January, the picture isn’t so rosy. Here we are in February, and chances are someone reading this has already given up.
You tell yourself it’s too hard, or you can try later in the year. While you shouldn’t beat yourself up, you also shouldn’t give into complacency. None of us is guaranteed a moment past right now. It’s important to use all the time we have wisely.
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I’ve been there more times, and more years than I can count. February rolled around and I was done. It took the death of my father to convince me not to let regret be a part of my life. Here are four choices you’ll regret this year if you don’t do something about them.
1. Neglecting to follow through on the goals you’ve set
Life is short. I hesitate to write those words because they’ve become cliché. Even though you’ve heard it too many times before, it’s true. Life is short. Time is one of the most valuable resources we have, because we can’t get it back.
Follow through on your goals, even the ones that seem impossible. Get back up and keep going forward during the rough times. You set these goals for a reason, and they probably mean a lot to the kind of life you want to live.
2. Believing negative people’s advice
We walk around everyday with doubt and fear. We have self-limiting beliefs that we fight hard to beat. On top of all that, there are people in our lives that “mean well,” but do more harm than good.
There are also those people who are outright negative. They’re quick to point out what they believe is reality. They’re not happy with their life and want to drag everyone down to their level. Ignore these people and muster up enough strength to cut them out of your life.
3. Trying to do what you want to do without your family
The journey to create freedom in every area of your life has to involve your family. Too many dreams and families have been crushed by someone trying to do this “on their own.” It’s hard to open up, and it’s hard to communicate what’s going on with other people. We have to have a plan to make big changes, and our family should know that plan. Your dream should be a family affair.
4. Getting complacent after achieving some success
You can accomplish every dream you have, and every goal you’ve set.
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It’s been an incredible eight months. I’ve done things I would have never dreamt were possible. I came to the end of January riding high, until I saw this video from Gary Vaynerchuk. The video helped me realize I was getting complacent with the victories I’ve had.
Never get complacent. Never settle for a few wins. I’m not saying you should try to be a billionaire, but you should keeping growing. If you reach the goals you’ve set this year, make new and bigger ones.
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This can be a good year, or a great year. This could also be a year you regret for the rest of your life. Two things you should understand. One, you have a choice to make. You decide what kind of year this will be by what kind of action you take.
Two, you have the power to do anything. You can accomplish every dream you have, and every goal you’ve set. It will be hard, and it will take time, but it is possible.
This article originally appeared on KimanziConstable.com.
Audio version:
What are some goals you’ve set this year?
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Photo: Flickr/ Kira Westland