Over the years I've learnt not to over-complicate my life with expectations, goals and targets. When the year starts, everyone goes on this goal setting frenzy; promises are made, targets are locked. Motivational speakers will make you feel silly for not getting in on the goal setting act. Most people are driven to set seemingly achievable goals despite having little to no control of time and space.
The result? Tonnes of unachieved goals that eventually ends up making the goal setter feel goofy, unfulfilled and highly unhappy. I've seen people write off a whole year as a failure because they couldn't achieve some arbitrary goals they set to achieve in the first week of the year. Funnily enough, some less resourced people go ahead setting goals that's fully dependent on earlier goals they won't probably achieve. Without mincing words, I'm not completely a fan of rigid, goal setting procedures; I love dynamism.
Despite my preference, I still set goals; I do have targets. I'm just not overly crazy about monitoring my life to the point of losing the excitement that comes with living. I choose dynamism over rigidity; I set my goals in accordance with reality, not with dreams and expectations. That has helped me to pick myself up, move quickly onto the next one once a target is not met. That has protected me from grieving over an unmet target to the point of losing sight of the remaining targets.
I started 2023 with a clearly defined goal, a goal that emanated from achieved results of last year's plan. I was on the right track, walking majestically towards a goal that was already within my grasp. And then, life happened. From circumstances that have nothing to do with me, I lost it all. Right before my eyes, my goal crashed and burned. Of course, I was very upset. But life dynamics has taught me that you may do everything perfectly well and still lose out on the target. But, just like I said earlier, I learnt not to be too dependent or rigid on goals. It's helped me to keep my emotions in check and placed me far away from psychological breakdowns.
Without mincing words, 2023 has been my most disappointing year in terms of expectations and achievements. Opportunities have appeared and quickly disappeared before I could raise a finger to grasp it. Despite that, each disappeared opportunity has strengthened my resolve and made me a better person. For the goals that crashed, they've been recalibrated and repurposed towards next year. By then, we will see. For now, other goals that will strengthen my case for next year's target are in full swing. One of those goals is to learn data analysis.
Is it achievable before the year runs out? I guess not because I have the most basic knowledge of it. Research I've done so far has shown that I'll need at least six months of serious learning and application to be close to someone that can be called a data analyst. And that's why my goals are not bound to calendar years. Because if they were, I'll want to engage in something I can end by December 31. My point is, do have a dynamic goal; you just don't know what will happen in the next minute.
