Yes, yes, I know. Yet another post by an obscure human being (who likely has no significant experience on which to be basing advice) about setting goals in a new year, blah, blah, blah…
I am well aware that now is the time of year in which every Bob or Jane with half a coherent thought is giving life advice. But I’m a writer that writes what’s on his mind, so I’ll throw my two cents into the general pot. Maybe we’ll come out with a fortune.
The fact of the matter is this: goals are important. I don’t care if we’re nearing a new year and everyone’s saying it. Doesn’t make it any less true. Now is the time to be thinking about what you want out of life. Not so you can forget by January 12th, but so you can carve it into your soul or your heart or whatever other internal organ or metaphysical entity you find appropriate. Goals, people. The conception and pursuit of what’s important to us makes us who we are.
So set ‘em! Set those goals and keep them in mind. Make a mission statement about what’s important to you and recite it daily. Pull out that dusty ol’ bucket list and start ticking off your dreams. My list is nearing the length of a novel (okay, that’s an exaggeration, but it is super long), and there’s no way I’ll ever complete it all in one lifetime. Should that stop me from trying to attain as many of my dreams as possible? No! It just means I need to step up the pace to realize as many of them as I can with the time I’ve got! It’s time to start knocking those suckers outta the park, and 2017 sounds like a good time to hit some grand slams.
The first step is to pick the goals you want to attain (or even just work toward, if they’re big ones that take years). For example, here are some of my goals: I want to be a New York Times Bestselling author, serve my country, become an astronaut, earn a doctorate degree, and rule the world (just kidding on the last one…kind of).
I can’t do all of that in 2017! I’ve got to be more selective. So, first I select the goals I currently have the means to obtain or work toward. Let’s use the NYT Bestselling Author goal. This is one I’ve been pursuing for several years now, and in all likelihood, I still have years to go. But I have the means to get closer to that goal, as long as I keep in mind what is important to me. That’s the key; don’t let life interfere. We can’t let the little things make us forget what we really want. I want to change the world through my tales. I want to rip and tear and break people inside with nothing but story, nothing but fiction and characters. I want people to laugh and cry and shout and become inspired because they recognized something beautiful, tragic or stirring in what I create. Being a NYT Bestseller is a representation of that, and as long as I keep that in mind, every day, every month, every year becomes a good time to reach for my goals.
Because, in the end, we all just want to change the world. And if we work hard, I don’t think that’s too much to ask.
What about all of you? Anybody have any goals they’d like to share? What are you going to do to attain them? Let me know!
Here’s wishing everyone a happy new year!
Dakota Kemp 