New Year: The will to change and gratitude

There are several New Year’s jokes posted on Facebook, one of which goes “tiwason na lang nako ang ako pagkatapulan sa katapusan sa 2023, total pila na lang ka adlaw 2024 na” or words to that effect. And because, as they say, jokes are half-meant, I don’t see here the will to change.

If a person wishes to change, the right time is today, not a month, a week, or a day later. Otherwise, the moment January 2024 enters, one will tend to plan to change in January 2025, and the cycle continues. That is how a pathetic life is lived. Procrastination kills dreams.

We may indeed stumble along the way, and the probability of us hitting our goals dims. But instead of giving up, it’s the best time for us to reassess our approaches or methodologies, or in simple terms, our ways of reaching our goal. The time-tested SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound) will help chart our path. Be reminded, however, that a good plan is not enough. Discipline spells the difference, Jim Rohn said, “Discipline is the bridge between our goals and accomplishment.”

Sadly, discipline is a word that remains unattractive to many. People want the easy way. This is why countless individuals fall prey to scams. Success is a process, and the process is not known to be pleasant. The quicker that fact sinks into one’s consciousness, the better.

Change, as has been said ad infinitum, is slow and painful. Look around, and that’s how, in fact, nature works. If your economic condition is to be changed, for example, you have to stick to what you need and not what you want. Need means without which you will not survive. Will you be less of a human being if you put an end to your vices such as drinking, gambling, and smoking? I don’t think so.

If you wish to get rich, learn from the rich. Listen to their wisdom. Many of them get to where they are after many failures and heartaches. To be among the best in a particular field, surround yourself with the best. Mediocrity is infectious. It is to be avoided like a plague, much more so in an organization. “When leaders tolerate mediocrity, it’s a cancer that spreads like wildfire,” Frank Sonnenberg said.

However, life has its way of pulling us down from time to time. This is despite the fact that we have given our utmost. We hit rock bottom. All that we worked hard for can be gone in the blink of an eye. Of course, all those who once praised you to high heavens are also gone with the wind.

Being thankful is the key. It is the light of the torch that keeps you going. It retains your enthusiasm, no matter how little. All you need to do is get a pen and a paper and list all the good things you have in life, even what others consider small ones, such as the fact that you are alive and kicking. “I am happy because I am grateful. I choose to be grateful. That gratitude allows me to be happy.” – Will Arnett.

Happy new year in advance, everyone.