This prompt took my mind back to how one of my cousins felt on the 31st December. According to her, the feeling actually started from the middle of December when she realized we had just a few weeks to round off 2023 and she couldn't really boost or accomplish her goal of opening a mini dress store. Her goals would have added an advantage to her finances.
It was on 31st when it Dawn on her and she realized while she set out goals she wasn't chasing it with determination. She saw so many intimidating WhatsApp posts, everyone was posting and ticking how many of their plans worked out in 2023 and she was left with not so much to write home about. She reacted so negatively to it.
She went as far as tagging that goal an unachievable one, she was sad and settled for anything that comes her way as what she wanted failed. Even before she told me her plans for 2023, I assisted her on how to achieve the goal which was by saving money like someone that has a plan.
I knew she didn't save as one that set a goal and I didn't want to add salt to her bleeding. I tried to make her react more positively to her failed goal than to capitalize on the failure. We refined and strategized how she would be saving her earned money this year since savings was the major constraint last year.
Not just my cousin alone, anyone can be in that lane and sometimes depending on the kind of goal(s) it is, we tend to react either negatively or positively. Going through that memory lane of goals yielding uninspiring results can get one depressed. Most of the goals I set for myself last year that I failed to accomplish are part of my goal list for this year.
I can't kick them off the list because I couldn't accomplish it, looking for why it failed, learning from the obstacles encountered, trying to make adjustments and seeking help from people at all cost would go a long way in my standing strong again to push through achieving goals.
If 2024 gets to its halfway point and I notice my goals are not yielding inspiring results, I would not want to approach it the way my cousin did. She was too heavy and hard on herself and mere looking at her, you will see something wasn't right.
I wouldn't go as far as being too hard on myself because that's like hurting myself without solving the problem. I will try to be calm and think of the way forward and how to make things work out in the few months I have left. Below are the ways I will react in working things out:
Finding out where there is fault:
There is nothing without challenges, trying to find out what is making this goal difficult to achieve will be my number one way of finding a solution. Knowing if the fault is from my end or generally from another end will help me know what to tackle and make adjustments where needed.
Seeking Advice and Asking Questions:
There is an adage that says "he who asks questions does not miss the road" . I know of a lady who went into the culinary business with no prior knowledge and failed to seek support from those who have been in the system before her. It was a bitter experience for her as she struggled on how to keep her food from spoilage and other external factors.
She ended up losing more than she gained and didn't stay long in the business. For me, seeking advice and learning from others who I know have set and achieved a similar goal can offer valuable insight. This is one of the positive ways I can react to it when I see things aren't going as planned.
Being optimistic and hard-working:
Instead of reacting negatively in a way that will drain me emotionally and otherwise, maintaining a positive mindset is very important. It will give me that open spirit of trying harder to get there. There is no one who has a positive mindset on achieving something that will be lazy about it, that belief that I will win this and keep working harder will give me an advantage to accomplishing the goals at last.