Happy New Year!
I believe that a lot of people like celebrating New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day because it marks a new start. This is why we make resolutions.
Of course, you can mark a new start any time during the year, but there is something about following the calendar. It doesn’t hurt also that it is right after Christmas when we tend to spend a lot and eat a lot. This is reflected in many resolutions to lose weight or get out of debt.
It is important to set goals in our lives. Otherwise, we tend to wander. We tend to go about doing the same things over and over again. If Einstein was correct in saying that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, then most everyone is a little bit insane.
I believe that productivity is important, balanced with some leisure. Productivity is important in order to obtain wealth. It actually has to be productivity that is of value to others though.
But even aside from obtaining wealth, I believe that humans are supposed to be productive in some capacity. We need a sense of purpose in life. Even if I was a billionaire, I would still likely write and do other things. I would probably write even more, as I could dedicate a greater proportion of my time to promoting liberty.
When setting goals, it is important to set the right goals for you. It is important that many of the goals – particularly the shorter-term goals – are action based.
You can set a goal to become a millionaire or to get a 10% pay raise at work. Maybe these are longer-term goals, or maybe you think you can achieve them this year. The problem is that you may not be fully in control of these goals. In addition, they are specific in terms of results, but they are not specific in terms of the actions you need to take.
This where people get lost in setting goals. They set up too many goals with results. Instead, they need to set goals in which they can take action and achieve.
If you want a 10% pay raise at work, you probably can’t control what your boss does. You may do a really good job, but it may not be fully recognized. Or maybe a pay raise isn’t in the department’s budget.
A better goal would be to spend an extra hour at work each week helping your boss do something that he/ she doesn’t like to do. Or maybe it means helping your co-workers more in order to raise the productivity of your department. Or maybe you can work on the side to set up a website that your company can eventually use. In other words, find something specific you can do.
If you want to be a millionaire, take specific steps that will help you earn more income. Or explore assets that will provide you with passive income. Or find specific ways that you can cut certain expenses out of your budget in order to allocate more to savings. You can’t just say you want to be a millionaire without taking specific steps to make it happen.
Even when it comes to weight loss, your goal shouldn’t just be a number. If you actually want to achieve your goal, then commit yourself to eating three servings of vegetables every day and drinking at least one liter of pure water every day. Commit yourself to eating only one food on your naughty list each day (or less if you think it is achievable). The important part is the action.
I am not going to make a goal of getting 1,000 unique visitors to my blog every week. Instead, I can make a goal to write at least 2 to 3 posts every week. I can make a goal to increase advertising. I can make a goal to write for other sites to gain notoriety.
It is ok to make longer-term goals that are results oriented. I would recommend the book titled “It Works“. You can write down your goals and review them every day. Ultimately though, you have to take action to achieve those goals.
If you really want to set a good goal for 2018, make it this: Take action!
