New Year provides an opportunity for a sober evaluation of the previous year in order to make resolution that can make our lives better. The reality however is that the only certainty for today is tomorrow’s uncertainty as fortified by the popular maxim that “man proposes but God disposes”. Consequently, we don’t always get what we want in a rapidly changing world of ours with associated forces which are close to us and larger societal actors that offer opportunities and threats to our success. A study conducted has revealed that one out of three people abandon their resolutions by the end of January while 73% give up before achieving their goals. This notwithstanding, nothing can take the place of persistence in every endeavor you find yourself.
Undoubtedly, there is a claim to exclusiveness when we generalize success to everybody as life is a two edge sword. In all sincerity, blessing is a universal gift but happiness is a choice for which you either pursue success at the expense of failure or the vice versa. Ironically many are those who have the weapon for success but always depreciate from the ethics of success. It is therefore not surprising for people to make resolution on managing weight, quit smoking, learning new skills, living a healthy lifestyle, having time for the family, investing, drinking less alcohol and drawing close to the maker. As president of life, this can only be controlled by yourself your will to know where you are now to where you ideally want to be on living your vision.
Admittedly, the journey to achieving our resolution is not a path of roses. It is littered with traps. When you are unable to achieve it, one is tempted to give many attributes to it without proper diagnosis of the situation. In other systems of values and its experiences, one thinks he has fallen to the clutches of the devil and as usual the world suffering suddenly preoccupies the subconscious mind of the affected. Realistically, one expects the denominator of torture to show if you have ever been through one.
Against this backdrop, success awaits only those who can persevere to maintain a balance since the ladder of life is long, slippery and with difficulties and the more you climb the more you meet the falling stone. It is also a common sense to plough the ground for crop and you don’t expect rain without thunder and lightening.
You may rise and fall in lobbying for success but never give in to hopelessness. As a ship that has been launched you face the hazards of the high sea alone but remember that it is only by trying often that the monkey learns how to jump from tree to tree without falling. It is not a wish to achieve your resolution or goal that is crucial but how to achieve it. You have everything you need to be so much and none is to settle for less if you focus on the big picture. You either make it happen or watch it or wonder what happens.
The perspective to success is associated to a pencil which can only be productive only when it is in the hand of somebody just like the way Joshua crossed over the river Jordan with the Israelites by being in the hands of God. This pencil experiences constant sharpening in order to be better and undeniably the pencil makes mistakes often which provide more room for correction just like human beings. Remarkably, it leaves a mark on every surface it passes indicating that there must be traces of success. In all these, the inner part of the pencil is what produces result indicating that commitment must come from within.
Clearly, one thing that stands out in achieving a resolution will depend on the ability in understanding the obstacles in the process of achievement of the resolution. Unless we know the gap or the problem or the cause of the problem it becomes more challenging to achieve it. A revelation has been that most of the causes are personality defects which surface at various levels in attaining this resolution. Some of the identified personality defects are laziness, impulsiveness, greed, selfishness, pride and anger. A positive attitude which is an outward manifestation of values, beliefs and expectation are ingredient that must be examined because unexamined life is not worth living. This will need objective processes to resolve. When one becomes aware of his personality defect, you have a clearer sense of purpose.
When one becomes aware of the personality defects that can be managed to achieve a resolution amid the uncontrollable, one is able to visualize the future supported by positive beliefs. This vision helps you to know who you are, where you are going and what will guide your journey. This vision keeps us heading in the right direction according to Ken Blanchard and Jesse stoner. This also helps us focused, remain energized and produce great result.
In living this vision there must be changes that the individual must make on weekly basis, monthly basis or quarterly in reaching the ideal destination. These include as getting in shape, controlling your emotions, stop procrastination, improve concentration, and meet right people, becoming more active, having the confidence, reduce stress, earn money, research more and above all prioritize as you learn to be happier with your life among the lots.
The way forward demands that as you initiate these actions, you measure with standards to track your progress. The need for character to follow through on any decision will add impetus to achieving the resolution. Walking the talk demands that you have some methods of locating the gaps along the journey of implementation and correct it and this is an ongoing process towards achieving your resolution. In getting it right you constantly monitor where you are going, how you get there and how you measure yourself. Never give in when you are not there because it is not about how many times you fall but how you get up. Persistent is keeping your actions in line with your words. Remedial actions will depend on the result from comparison leading you to adjust, revise on reconsider change.
Conclusively, you are must be responsible for the result in living your resolution because according to Brian Tracy , the unavoidable truth is no one really cares as much as you do in your new decisions and the more you are responsible , the better you can control your resolution and be happy as a successful person on this journey.