Volume 08, Issue 03; It’s Not Business As Usual

Keep your mind turning on the things you want to do this year. Nothing remains the same. The pages have turned. Every new year is an opportunity to take things to a higher level. If God doesn’t settle for one big achievement, neither should we. We have an opportunity to write a new chapter of our lives.

My mind has been on this since the year started. I wrote down the things I want to do better, boundaries I want to burst, heights I want to scale in 2018. It doesn’t cost anything to dream. If you can picture it, you can align yourself to attain it. You may not hit the mark, but without a target you stand no chance to do anything great.

I always remember something my former boss told me about 12 years ago. A lesson on procrastination from an old American man who had served in the army in his younger years. He told me that the year would come to an end whether you do something or you don’t. It may be hard to pick yourself up and go back to school, or have the baby you have been postponing having. But whether you do it or not, the year will come to an end. When it does, you will have something to show for it or nothing to be proud of.

I have a relative abroad who shies away from coming back home on account that he has nothing to show for the many years he has been away. That’s how we are built. We want our days to count something. We want to make a difference for ourselves and for others. Each new year gives us an opportunity to do that. We keep trying by taking things a notch higher each year.

What do you want to do differently this year? You had a way of doing things last year that gave you lots of success or a little success. Consider what didn’t work that well that you would like to do differently this year. It’s true that you can’t expect to get different results if you keep doing things the same way. Two years ago, I stopped going to a local gym and started to work out at a home gym. Two years down the line I realized I am not that good at pushing myself when it comes to exercise, and decided to go back to the local gym. I am enjoying the challenge. What do you want to do differently this year for better results?

What do you want to continue doing this year? What is it that worked so well for you last year that you want to continue doing this year? I started walking about 5 miles a day in the morning early last year and I like how it makes me feel. This is definitely one of the things I want to continue doing. What are yours? List them down and keep yourself accountable.

What do you want to start doing this year? What have you learnt by yourself or from others that you like and think would be good for you to start doing? I decided to introduce pies in my cooking – Yummly is my new friend. My household in having a ball. Another fun thing I decided to do is have home parties to celebrate special occasions – enough with making reservations. I think sometimes we limit ourselves too much. We think we are too busy and too tired, and miss out on simple things that bring fun and enjoyment to ourselves and others.

What do you want to stop doing this year? What were you doing before that did you no good? Are there ties you need to break, people you need to stop listening to? Are there places you need to stop going to? The other Sunday my pastor said something in his sermon that I thought was quite powerful. He said, sometimes we are blessed but because of the company we keep, we are robbed of the blessings.

This is the best time to set things in motion to position yourself for higher success in 2018. Never start a new season with a business as usual mentality. It is not business as usual. It’s a new year, an opportunity to do better, to get it right. Position yourself to get it right at the home front. Think of the things you can do better for your spouse and children, your parents and siblings. List those things down and put them where you will see them regularly and do them. Don’t take your family and friends for granted. Think of what you can do differently or better at work to achieve better results. Are there better ways to handle your finances this year? Your nutrition and fitness, your entertainment, your spirituality, your intellectual development, your appearance, your environment, how you spend your time?

There’s always room for improvement even when you have done extremely well. I want to show up for every engagement a few minutes before time. I haven’t had much success with this yet, but I am not giving up. I want to eliminate rushing in my life. I want to stop expecting my children to behave like me, or do things the way I did them when I was their age. What do you want to do better? You never stop learning and improving.

Set the bar higher for yourself. Don’t pray as you prayed last year. Keep it up but go deeper. Allow God to expand your prayer strategies. Go further in your studying. Expand your generosity – do things for people more than you did last year. Do the things you love to do more this year. Get it right with your work-life balance; don’t overwork yourself all the time. Arrive on time. Treat people better, especially those closest to you. Give people a break, and don’t be too hard on yourself.

What do you want to do differently? What do you want to continue doing? What do you want to start doing? What do you want to stop doing? Make your list and go for it. You have the capacity to go further. Don’t limit yourself to last year’s standards.

Lillian Chebosi