New Year's Resolutions: Not failure, but low aim, is a sin.
Looking back at 2012 -Some things I'm happy I did:Made a children's albumRaised $10,000 for a professional workshop of my musicalCompleted 20 website projects and reduced costs by over $300,000Passed the $50,000 mark raising money for Relay for LifeRan a half marathonPublished another song with another music library
Some things I failed to do:Make the workshop happen in 2012Write and record a new song every monthBlog and post consistentlyAchieve perfect balance of international stardom and complete anonymityBecome financially set for lifeQuit day job and retire to secluded beach house
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| Actual house where I got the ideafor the last three goals |
Interestingly enough, at the start of 2012, only one of the things I accomplished was a goal I set out to do when the year started (the rest developed over the course of the year). Nearly all of what I failed were goals of mine for 2012...So what's the difference? Well, some of the goals I didn't achieve were behavioral changes. I ended up choosing not to do them because I ultimately didn't see the value in them. And clearly some were too large and fuzzy.So this year, I will set some new goals, make sure they are measurable, have value to me, and can be broken down into achievable tasks. I want to continuously improve, and make real progress toward my dreams. But perhaps more importantly, I will continue to dream.Before the holidays, my family and I delivered a bunch of gifts for two other families through "Families First." When I was there, I saw this quote painted on one of their walls:Benjamin Mays: "The tragedy of life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach. It isn't a calamity to die with dreams unfilled, but it is a calamity not to dream. It is not disgrace to reach the stars, but it is a disgrace to have no stars to reach for. Not failure, but low aim, is a sin."For 2013, I resolve to set some real goals, to dream, and to reach for the stars.