“Do not go gentle into that good night; Old age should burn and rave at close of day. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” —Dylan Thomas, as quoted by Professor Brand
Carry these words as your mantra when setting short-term goals for the new year. Go ahead and RAGE to complete a daily goal. Let the dying of the light be sunset and begin each day anew ready to burn through daylight toward completion of the tasks at hand.
“I have an itch, heading back to base.”—Cooper
Intuition is your inner-speak! Listen to it. How many times have you castigated yourself for not paying attention to a gut feeling? Be brave by following your instincts. If your actions are causing doubt, then STOP to re-evaluate. Scratch that itch because apparently, your choices are off the mark. Don’t worry about being dubbed indecisive; it’s okay to double check the direction of your goals to get back on the correct path.
“It’s not possible.”—Case
“No, it’s necessary.” —Cooper
Own your choices as a necessary means to accomplish a goal. How you approach a problem is how you will find a solution. The key to finding an answer is to never doubt its existence. KNOW that it is within yourself to recognize it and your expectations will be met for completion.
“Love is the one thing that transcends time and space.” Brand
Fall in LOVE with your new year’s resolutions. Don’t list the same goals from years past. They need to be repackaged into missives that reflect what you’re trying to truly achieve. For example, if you’re seeking to lose weight because you hate your body, instead choose to lose weight because you LOVE your body. That body is uniquely yours and it’s one of a kind…be loving and take care of it!
“So how do you plan on saving the world?”—Cooper
“We’re not meant to save the world, we’re meant to leave it.”—Brand
Time to throw out losing causes. One of the reasons your past goals may have never been met is because they weren’t meant to be completed! TAKE stock of what makes you happy and fulfilled rather than trying to fulfill someone else’s ideals. Be brave enough to take care of yourself and that empowerment will translate into achievement.
“Murphy’s Law doesn’t meant that something bad will happen. It means that whatever can happen, will happen.”—Cooper
Learn to ride the roller coaster of unexpected moments. Setbacks happen, and because we allow our perfectionism to rear its ugly head, those moments can derail our progress. Instead, allow your thoughts to move toward readjustment and new pathways. A positive end result can come in spite of detours. USE these growth moments to strengthen your resolve.
“We used to look up at the sky and wonder at our place in the stars, now we just look down and worry about our place in the dirt.”—Cooper
Remember to DREAM big. Stretching the boundaries of what you think you can achieve may just give you the perspective necessary for success. If you’ve thrown out losing causes as recommended earlier, it’s time to replace them with better goals and possibly bigger goals. Rather than the promise of walking 10 miles per week, think of it as training for a half marathon and eventually, build toward something more. Why not you?
“Maybe we’ve spent too long trying to figure this out with theory.”—Brand
Preparation is necessary for success but don’t SPEND all your time planning and not executing. One of the reasons magazines highlight dieting on their monthly covers is because they know their readers are procrastinators. Rather than hoping for the “perfect” method, start trying something!! Action breeds action and eventually, action breeds success.
“We’re still pioneers, we’ve barely begun. Our greatest accomplishments cannot be behind us, cause our destiny lies above us.”—Cooper
Why stop with your first success? Let one achievement roll into another. The lessons you learn from failure and success can be the motivation you need to attack the next resolution on your list. BE proactive and try not to settle for half a goal reached or half a list completed. Follow the destiny you mapped out for yourself.
“I’m not going to make it.”—Brand.
“Yes, you are. Yes, you are.”—Cooper
Enlist support. No person is an island…happily. To make your journey easier, turn to your friends and family when the task seems insurmountable. If you’ve surrounded yourself with good people, they’ll remind you of your goals. If saboteurs call themselves your friends and urge you to stray from your path, add another resolution to the list: GET new friends!
