At the beginning of each year, many will start the new year with vision boards, resolutions, and all sorts of promises and plans. Some will even assign the year a mantra or motto and deem this “The year of (fill in the blank).”
There is absolutely nothing wrong with that and I firmly believe that we all need a goal and plan to work towards to achieve those things we aspire to obtain. The word even tells us, “Write the vision and make it plain” and “where there is no vision, the people perish”. As true as all of that may be, and again, I believe it is true, change essentially begins from within. And until you change who you are into who want to become, you can make all the declarations about who and what you are not bringing into the new year, and it will matter none. You can cutoff, unfriend, and delete as many as you want to. But none of your haters, detractors, or naysayers have anything to do with BEING the change and not merely claiming a change. Remember, a vision without a plan is just an illusion and a dream without a plan is nothing more than a wish. If you really want to Be The Change and bring your dreams and vision to fruition, here are 3 key questions to ask yourself.
Who are you? Be honest and transparent with yourself. At your core, who are you? Are you disciplined or a procrastinator? Are you the take charge type or the laid back, wait to see what happens type. Does your vision match your gifts? Until you are real with the person in the mirror, you will continue to deceive yourself. But when you accept and own who you are, the fantastic and flawed, then you begin to make a life change.
Who do you want to be? What is it that you desire? Do your dreams match your passion and are you willing to persevere through anything? In order to be who you desire, you have to be willing to overcome your failures, push pass your fear, and conquer your frailties. Everyone falls short and there will be obstacles, but never forget that you were wonderfully made with your own specific and special tools, talents, and treasures. The difference between who you are and who you want to be is what you do. Whomever it is that you want to be, you must first be willing to do something you may have never done before.
Who will you become? The person you will become is all up to you. The legacy you leave will be based on what you do from this moment forward. Who do you want to be remembered as? Better yet, what do you want to remembered for? The only person you are competing with is yourself, trying to be a better version of yourself than you were the day before. There is no comparison because no one else can be you, but you, and if you believe in who you are, you become what you believe.
You now have a fresh 365 days to begin penning the story you want told about your life. So, never let anyone else hold the pen when writing your life’s story. Remember who you are is only the beginning of who you will become and whomever that shall be, you already possess the tools to make it happen. Happy New Year and I look forward to witnessing who you will become and the illustrious tale of your life.
“For me, becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self. The journey doesn’t end.” ~ Michelle Obama