2024: Examining Goals

Goals are typically associated with the coming of a new year. Although I may have missed the cut-off for resolutions and new beginnings, there is nothing preventing me from starting anew and reimagining where I would like to be in my life, my career, and my writing. Whether I would be beginning today, tomorrow or any number of months from now, I believe that goals, much like any other aspect of our lives, should be open to change and progression. The goals I may set today could become unattainable tomorrow, or require more reflection or information gathering than previously thought, and thus, goals should be an open-ended, ongoing conversation we share with ourselves.

What can I achieve with the knowledge I have today? Will that still be true tomorrow, or will I have to alter my goals in order for them to remain attainable? We cannot expect to always have all the facts available to us and, as our lives unfold before us, we may find that our needs and wants have adapted and grown. 

Even with the understanding that goals are ever-changing, I still believe that they are fundamental to a healthy lifestyle at any age. Goals give us something to work towards, a focal point in the future, near or far, to which we can set our sights. Where are we now, and where would we like to be?

For myself, goals have not always been fluid and I have not always allowed myself the opportunity or grace to pause, re-assess and reflect. Previously, and recently as well, I have treated goals in much the same way as one would treat a deadline; a date in mind with the expectation that by the end I will have successfully achieved my aspiration and with it, a sense of accomplishment. Of course, this has never ended well, the date looming overhead like a guillotine as I sink deeper into anxiety under the pressure and constraints I myself am responsible for having created. 

This toxic mindset has been difficult to break, and often I find myself creeping back to deadlines and task-lists, all with the intention of meeting my goals and aspirations. Constraints do not speak to discipline and therefore, when we remove the constraints and allow ourselves to readjust, reflect and adapt our expectations, it becomes easier to meet our intended goals.

And so, what exactly are my goals? For my life, I would like to slow down and live more intentionally. I acknowledge that this may not be something that I can achieve each and every day, as my career is demanding and commands a large portion of my time throughout the week. Even so, I have control over my personal time and would like to begin making small changes to romanticize and fall in-love with the daily habits and activities that I engage myself with. 

For my career, as my responsibilities and duties increase, my goal is to achieve balance. This is something I hope to continue striving for, day after day, month after month, and year after year. It is so easy to fall into the pit of pressures and stresses that encompass the daily grind, so finding balance and understanding that we cannot dwell on what we could not possibly control is imperative to leading a mentally healthy life. This will be, by far, my greatest and most difficult goal to achieve, and will require daily reflection and introspection.

Finally, and most importantly, for my writing; a hobby that I love and hold dear to my heart. Setting definitive goals on my writing in the past has stripped me of the enjoyment that I feel when sitting down at my desk and expressing myself creatively. Although I hope to one day publish a novel, I write for myself; I write the stories that I wish to read and if those manuscripts one day become published for the whole world to enjoy, I do not want it to be something that I have stressed and over-exerted myself to accomplish. My goal is to enjoy the writing processing; to learn and become more proficient in the craft without it becoming a chore or a job. 

Journaling and daily reflection will allow me to examine each of these goals in full and determine what changes can be made, if these goals remain attainable, or if they still align with who I am as a person and what I strive to achieve within my life, career and writing. Remaining open and honest with myself as I work towards these goals, I am hoping to find that I will grow and become more confident in the various aspects that make up my chosen life. Who I am is within the written words before me, who I will become requires that I turn the page and dare to set ink to paper.

Hanna B.