A Tale of Two Years--Goodbye 2021 Goals, Hello 2022 Goals

Like the tide rushing in to erase our footprints from this past year, we must all be prepared to welcome 2022 with newfound hope and the promise of better things to come.

Every year around this time, we all start pondering what we want to accomplish in the next 365 days or so. We want next year to be different, yet better. Some of us will start making subtle changes to how we think and act, or how we perform at our workplaces.

There are endless ways to structure 2022 to fit your own individual desires, and none of them are wrong. When we start analyzing what went right or wrong in 2021, and then define the steps needed to make 2022 different, we are left alone to contemplate what those steps will be and how they fit our individual personalities.

I believe as we go through time we pick up unexpected helpful tips, or we experience things that are outside of our comfort level that shed new light on an old problem or thought process. There are many occasions where we look forward to the future, but forget to look back at our past to see what we have learned and how we can apply it to our future.

Some of us are going to make resolutions to make 2022 the best year ever. We are firm in our beliefs that we have the gumption to change how we look, or how we feel, or change some other personality flaws that we have been wanting to address. I think that's great and you should go ahead and "do you" in any way that makes you comfortable.

That being said, I would like to share with you how I go about planning and preparing for the new year.

Step 1--Know thyself

Each year, as I start preparing for the immediate future, I plan "alone" time. I need this time to gather my thoughts, analyze what worked and failed in the past year, and then determine the steps needed to make the new year different from the past.

I know myself better than anyone, and I know what I can and cannot do. I always resolve to not let anyone tell me the things I am and am not capable of doing. I don't accept others gauging my capabilities. This is both a positive and negative trait I possess--positive because I usually set the bar higher for myself than others will set for me. Negative, in that, I tend to be obstinate and stubborn in how I do things.

I'm not good at any type of criticism and never have been. I have never had anyone come up to me and say: "Great job, Ken. Next time, you might do better by doing so-and-so."

You see, people tend to assess my performance of something based on that one display of my capabilities. That means they may not have seen the total range at which I normally perform. They may only see how I handled one specific chore or one personal interaction.

When I do a specific chore, I'm certain the job will be completed with a minimum of pain and interruption. When I interact with others, I am very careful in my choice of words. Each person has a different personality and I try to recognize their preferences as the conversation develops further.

Step 2--General thoughts on goals I want to accomplish

My overall goals are more general, rather than specific. Why? I have found that I am not good at predicting the future. This is where I think many people get discouraged when they realize they aren't going to attain their specific goal by a certain date. They don't take into consideration that they have no control over the future. Consequently, they will give up on their goals rather than alter them to meet whatever new circumstances happen.

As an example, the Coronavirus threw a wrench into many sections of the country as our economy was shuttered to combat the disease. No one could see this happening and have plans in place to cope with the outcome. We were all scrambling to adapt to our changing environment.

When it is time for me to put my analysis and thoughts together, I write down tentative goals on a blank sheet of paper. They will include plans for specific areas of improvement, such as:

• Health
• Relationships
• Spirituality
• Finance
• Generational differences

In the Health category, I want to develop better methods for watching my weight, while managing my type 2 diabetes and heart disease. I have had tons of counseling, rehabilitation, and exercise recommendations. I will set specific actions in my daily schedule to accommodate these problem areas.

In the Relationships category, I try to improve my interactions with my wife, daughter, son, extended family members, and friends. At times, we forget to work on our relationships. That can create differences of opinion that are unresolved or hurt feelings. I have found it is very important to choose my words wisely, especially around my loved ones. We don't always tell our spouses or children, how much they are loved and appreciated, but it is very important to acknowledge them.

With my Spirituality, I have to incorporate more of God into each day, to thank Him for His great sacrifice. Each and every one of us has the right to worship as we see fit. I have no problems with that. I have to worry about myself and myself alone in my style of talking with God.

Finances are important in any goal-setting session. Without an adequate income, some of our goals may never be achieved. It goes without saying that we want more money this year than we had last year. This is where I sit down and review the monthly budget to see what needs to be altered to help us increase our income. Sometimes, living on a fixed income determines what the budget looks like. Others among us may have different goals and have a different reality than just living on a fixed income.

Generation Gap As we age, we tend to slow down our activities, which sometimes leaks over to our thought patterns as well. We tend to start thinking of ourselves as "old." That kind of thinking, I believe, results in a widening of the generation gap.

My grandchildren can run circles around me on a computer or iPad. They have words and phrases I've never heard before. So, it is important for me that I stay connected to their ways of communicating. I need to read more about the new or upcoming technology so I can stay abreast of how they will be acting and reacting in tomorrow's society.

That's a brief outline of how I approach goal-setting for the New Year. There isn't a wrong way to set goals--there is only your way. Whatever works, let's do that!

Thanks for reading this!

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