With the start of a new year, people always make new resolutions. Things they plan to do or not do, ways they want to be or not be, habits they plan to take up or drop. I used to be this kind of person. I would think up resolutions and go as far as writing them down too. But one thing I noticed was that it always didn't take me long before I forgot about them or even gave them up. So, I decided not to make New Year Resolutions for 2025. And even if I did in my subconscious, I didn't allow it to take form by writing them down. What I did though, was to set goals and objectives that I wanted to accomplish in the year.
I learnt in one of my courses that goals are the ultimate things you want to achieve, while objectives are the little steps you take towards accomplishing those goals. Using this understanding, after setting my goals, I listed out objectives underneath them. That way, I knew the steps I would take towards achieving my goals. I also made a promise not to beat myself up if I wasn't able to achieve them. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, we tend not to achieve goals due to circumstances out of our control.
“Perfection isn't the goal - progress is.” I agree with this statement. I used to be a perfectionist once. Not that I am no longer one, but I sort of learned to tune it down. When you are a perfectionist, you sort of tend to overlook the progress you have made in whatever area you are striving in. Perfection makes you think that whatever you are doing to achieve something isn't enough. That's what I learned. I remember when I got admitted into the university. My goal was to get first class in every semester of my four years. I was buoyed when I saw my first result. I had gotten a 4. gpa and I was happy about it. I was on track, it seemed. But in the second semester, I dropped way below the first result I had.
I didn't want to accept the result, because I felt I had worked really hard and my results were supposed to show for it. I started beating myself up and even when I pushed myself harder and got back into first class, I didn't appreciate it. Because something had tainted the perfection I expected, I didn't appreciate the progress I was making. It wasn't until later that I saw reason and forgave myself. My friends encouraged me and pulled me from the dark hole I buried myself in. They made me see that I was making progress in my academics, and a swift one at that. For me, perfection has more cons than pros.
Amongst some goals I set for myself this year, one of them is to get myself a new phone with better features than the one I'm using. Getting a new phone would allow me advance more in my career path, which makes it a need. And to get it, I need to be financially capable. My objectives were to save more and work harder by writing consistently on Hive. If I followed these objectives meticulously, I would be able to make my phone purchase before the end of the year. Of course, I have prepared my mind towards the possibility of obstacles (unforeseen bills) emerging in my pursuit of this goal, but for now, I can see my slow progress towards it and it makes me glad.
Another one of my goals is to get a good partner this year. I know it sounds weird, but after three years of being single, I made the decision to keep an open mind and put myself out there. It is a tricky and hard goal; this one. Because how does one filter the wolves from human beings in today’s age? And being an indoor person isn't also going to help me get a partner. Like, I have heard so many times, “God isn't going to drop a man on my doorstep.” So, my objective is to go out there and socialize more with people. I have made a little bit of progress in this area by hanging out, attending social gatherings and making new acquaintances.
We are still in the first quarter of the year, but I can pat myself on the back already. Because I can see some progress in most of the goals I set for myself this year. And it's a sweet sight.
Thanks for reading.✨