Screw New Year’s Resolutions.
This is how I am going to get what I really want out of life in 2020.
And this is also how you can make your dreams come true as well. Nothing is going to happen unless you get up off your butt and do it.
Happy New Year To One And All.
Please keep in mind people that it is just another day like any other day of the year. January first is not a magical day unlike the other days of the year on the calendar. There is nothing different about this day if you don’t do something to make it very different.
Your Life Is Not Going To Automatically Change Just Because It Is A New Year.
I have a friend that I will refer to as JA. I remember one night being at her house on December 31 years ago. She had bought a brand new, fancy journal to write down all her goals in. I was very impressed because there are so many people who don’t even bother to take that first step. She was dying on the inside of happiness for a New Year to come.
Imagine my shock when talking to her on the phone a year later only to discover that she only ever wrote something on page one and the journal was pretty much tossed aside after that. And all that enthusiasm she had only a year ago was all gone.
Three Goals Journals I Recommend.
By the way it’s never too late to get your journal to write down your goals in. I recommend these three below.
1. Panda Planner — https://amzn.to/2ucKgm1
2. Freedom Mastery 2020 Deluxe Law Of Attraction Life Planner — https://amzn.to/2Qo6tGB
3. The Simple Elephant Planner — https://amzn.to/35kcLev
Are New Year’s Resolutions Bad?
In and of themselves, they are not. However I do think people overreach on what they think they can accomplish in a month or even a year. Some people set really unrealistic goals. This is why most people who create New Year’s resolutions have already fallen off course by the time March swings around. Then another New Year comes and they repeat the same old mistakes once again, without further thought about changing up their plan.
Write It Down, Make It Happen.
Write It Down, Make It Happen; Knowing What You Want — And Getting It is a book written by Henriette Anne Klauser and I read it just last year. If you want to get your own copy you can do so here — https://amzn.to/36nQgqk
Just because you write something down doesn’t mean that it is automatically going to leap off the pages of the book and come to life before your very eyes. Whether you want to call it action or inspired action, makes no difference. You must do something to help yourself achieve your goals. No one else is going to do that for you.
One of my goals this year is to lose weight. Yes, yes I know most people have that New Year’s resolution. For me it is much more than that. Unlike other people, I know how to drop the weight off without killing myself in the process. Why am I so sure of myself? I have done it before and I am confident I can do it again.
The last time I did this, it was without any exercise except for walking because I don’t own a car. Walking is my only form of transportation unless I choose public transport.
This time I am throwing in some abs workout. I want a flat stomach. My stomach did get down flat, but not flat enough to suit me. This is why I am going to follow an abs workout routine.
Why It’s Important To Write Down Your Goals?
The thing that I am most guilty of is I don’t know how to play that long game, especially when it comes to making money online. I want to have results and I want them yesterday. And once I don’t see the results I am after, I declare that this isn’t working, throw my hands up and stopped everything that I was doing. I must change how impatient I am in order to have long-term success.
Yes it is true that I am writing mainly for money and if you want to judge me for that then go right ahead. I’ve been dirt poor my whole life and I will be turning 40 in September 2020. Then and therefore, I won’t let anyone make me feel guilty for creating a better life for myself from this day forward.
You are not me and you certainly have not walked in my shoes. Hell I don’t even own a smart phone simply because I just can’t afford one. A luxury that most people take for granted.
Right now I have ZERO dollars saved up in my bank accounts even though I own two of them. What’s the point of having them right?
I refuse to continue on living this way. I must do what I have to do now in order to turn things around financially so I won’t have to live like this anymore. I know it is going to take some time and I am willingly to have more patience with myself.
If you believe earning money by writing is bad, then there is nothing wrong with you continuing to write for free. That is your choice and I respect that. My choice is to do the opposite. You don’t have to respect my decision, but I won’t care either way.
Make A Plan And Follow It.
Now I will admit that my plan is in no way 100% complete and I am doing that on purpose. I want my plan to evolve with me as I tick off all the little tasks that I accomplish along the way.
But life has a way of throwing curve balls at us. If something unexpected happens, I want my plan to be flexible enough to allow that change instead of getting frustrated and throwing the bath water out the window with the baby.
Develop A Work Ethic That Suits Your Needs.
I am developing a writing work ethic. Years ago and I am talking back in my 20’s, I honestly thought I could not write anything more than 1,000 words a day. 500 words in a day was a great day for me to be honest. 1,000 words a day was really pushing me beyond my limits.
But once I got access to the internet, another expense that I can’t even afford right now, I learned that there were writers who were killing it by writing 5,000–10,000 words in a day. I was beyond impressed by their writing work ethic.
I already knew about NaNoWriMo but missed participating in it every year even though it happens in November. I found a blog post on an author’s website about her 30 day writing challenge. Don’t ask who cause I truly can’t recall right now.
It was almost the middle of November and I said fuck it and gave myself my own 30 day writing challenge. The first 14 days were a killer for me. I wanted to quit before day 2 rolled around because my aim was to write 5,000 words a day.
It was not easy jumping from nothing to 5,000 words. I had long stopped writing for years. Only sporadically did I write something here or there. It was quite the challenge to go from zero to 5,000 words overnight.
How Did I Manage To Keep Going?
I had made the mistake, at least I saw it as a mistake on day 2, of posting in a private writing accountability group on Facebook about my writing challenge. These were authors I already knew from another group and they were excited for me.
Since I did not want to look like a liar in front of them, I kept going and gritting my teeth real hard in the process.
But the good thing was, once I got over that 2 week hump, it got a bit easier for me. In fact I was able to add an extra 1,000 words a day on top of what I was already doing.
What a shame I fell off this bandwagon again. I am climbing back aboard this year. I did it once and I am certain I have what it takes to do it again.
Sometimes posting about your goals publicly might just be the fuel you need to keep the momentum going. Just like I am doing here today.
Give Up A Little Entertainment.
Watching less TV is not going to kill you. Trust me on this.
The same friend JA, that I mentioned earlier was going after obtaining her bachelor’s degree but refused to give up watching the soap operas. I gave her a good talking to cause believe me I wasn’t going to let that one slide. I was annoyed to say the least.
It was utter foolishness to me that she was making mindless TV more important that getting her degree. Thankfully she did listen to me until she was at the point where she no longer care about the soap operas altogether. Good girl!
I will admit that I have fallen into the trap of watching endless videos on YouTube and this year I am giving it up. At least most of it, unless it is a video that can teach me a skill that I need to learn in that moment or I am in need of a little inspiration.
The same way these YouTubers are making bank, I want to be where they are. And that’s not going to happen if I am glued to my laptop watching one YouTube video after the other and not spending my time writing and publishing my work online.
Give Up Complains And Worries.
This one will be the biggest challenge for me. I complain for pretty much everything and I am constantly worried about something. Being able to make this admission is a good first step.
I know I can’t just break these bad habits overnight but I am making the effort to do them less and less this year. Half the things I worry about anyway never come to fruition. You would think by now I would know better and just leave well alone.
If there is a situation I can change, then I will work on changing it instead of complaining about it. I will leave it alone if there is nothing else I can do about it or at least ask someone to help me.
Focus On One Task.
I am so guilty of jumping from one task to another before completing the first one I was working on. I must keep my focus on one task until it is complete before moving on to something else.
Plan Out In Advance What You Need To Get Done So You Can Reach Your Monthly Or Weekly Goals.
Plan out in advance, even if it only the night before, all the task you have to accomplish along the way to achieving your goals.
Sometimes I do have a mental list in my head and then forget some of the things I have to do later on in the day. It is best to have the list written out in front of me so I can see it clearly. Therefore I won’t miss anything that needs to be done each day.
Cross Off All The Tasks You Got Done That Particular Day.
By having the list written out, another advantage is having the ability to cross things off on your list that are complete. Therefore you will be able to measure if you are not putting in more effort throughout your day or if you are stretching yourself out too thinly.
Focus On Building My Own Platform And Followers.
Now I am not trying to be a social media influencer. In fact I really don’t even use my Facebook and Twitter accounts all that much.
However I am so guilty of posting and building up other people’s platform. I mean like forums and blogs. That’s where you can find me online if I am not on YouTube.
Well I am done with that this year. I have to put way more time and energy into building and growing a platform for myself.
Find One Person Or A Group Who Will Keep You Accountable.
This is how I made it through my 30 days writing challenge years ago. If it was not for those authors, I know I never would have made it past the second day.
Now keep in mind the people you care about the most, might well be the last people who are ever going to be supportive of you going after your goals and dreams. This is why you either connect with another individual, like me, who is also working on getting what they want to. Or become a member of a goals group of some sort.
You can find focus groups on Facebook for pretty much anything these days. Some free and some are paid. If you are working towards a goal that you can’t find a group for, by all means, start your own and make your own rules that other people have to follow.
Avoid Internet Wars And Drama.
Let people have their opinions is my new motto this year.
If you must voice your opinion, then find a way to make it worthwhile and profitable for you. In short, be smart about it.
Make a blog post, a video or a book about it. Add some affiliate links if at all possible and then dip out of the drama. Be done with the situation once and for all.
For example people were calling me homophobic because of a comment I made on a YouTube video. I won’t get into the details here since I will be doing a separate blog post on it. After that though, I am done.
The working title is Am I Homophobic Or Is This Asian Drama’s Storyline Really Out Of Order, but is subject to change by the time I do sit down and flesh it out on paper.
I have my goals to achieve and I can’t do that if I keep getting caught up in fights with complete strangers online. Strangers who could very well be 10 years old for all I know.
Simple Plan.
Now this is no master plan by any stretch of the imagination. It is my very own simple plan and I like it. It is what I have and I will keep on applying it until it is subject to change.
Have a happy New Year everyone. And stop being afraid to go after your dreams in 2020. See you on the other side where the grass is certainly greener.
