Resolution 2012

Friends, it’s almost time to say good bye to the Year 2011 and welcome the year 2012!!!!!

Do you have a big goal for the New Year? You might have a whole bunch of goals.
Some of the New Year Resolutions are like:

Lose weight

Make lots of money

Get a promotion

Study for a new qualification / Learn Something New

Spend More Time with Family & Friends and so many…

Stop reading, and just think about some of the goals that are currently lodged in your mind – they might be your resolutions for previous year, but you've not made much progress on them.

One Question: Whose goals are these? Seems like a stupid question: obviously, they're your goals, right? But, there are chances that some of "our" goals aren't really ours at all। They might belong to our parents, our friends, or even our society as a whole.


Here's how other people's goals can become ours – why we should take control again and what should we do:

#1: Parents'/Family Goals:
Our parents have big hopes and dreams for us. They may have struggled through hardship and made sacrifices in order to support us – and they might have ideas about what constitutes a "good" career or a valuable life.

Parents (or other relatives) may impose goals by:
1. Insisting that a particular activity isn't worth pursuing because "there's no money in it" –e.g. investment.
2. Focusing on certain qualifications/ career paths – e.g. they wanted us to become doctors/engineers
3. Encouraging a particular type of lifestyle – e.g. criticizing behavior that they consider "wrong"
4. Talking about the success of certain family members in terms of career/wealth/marriage etc...

Hmmm, what should I do: Spend some time digging deep into your own goals. What do you really want for yourself? If you're doing something that you dislike, don't be afraid to change to something new. Your family may well turn out to be more supportive than you expect.

#2: Friends' Goals:
As we all know, it's common for particular traits to spread among groups of friends. e.g. if your friends are all overweight, there's a good chance that you'll be overweight too. Our friends might not talk about their goals as such. But they probably have a set of things that they value – and it may be hard for us to identify our own values. e.g. if you work with colleagues who just care about the salary, you might find it tough to stick to what's important to you: doing a good job and playing a valuable role in society.

Hmmm, what should I do: Join a group or club that relates to one (or more) of your goals. e.g. if you're starting up your own business but all your friends are employed- not interested in business, look for small business networking opportunities in your area.

#3: Society's Goals
Family and friends are not the only people whose goals we might have adopted. Society can impose certain goals on us –ones that may not be what we want at all.
e.g. Big companies/MNCs encourage us to purchase their products. e.g. we buy gym membership or diet products because we feel like we "should" get in shape – even though we're already pretty healthy.
Try answering below questions:
1. Is it really better to buy a house, or would you be just as happy renting?
2. Will that new gadget/TV really enhance your life?
3. Do you really need a new car?
4. Do you and your wife really want to have a pricey meal out, or are you both just doing it because you feel like you should?

Hmmm, what should I do: Don't be afraid to be different! There are plenty of ways you can challenge the assumptions of society – that might mean homeschooling your kids, avoiding branded labels, or whatever else you want to do.
"You only have one life to live: your own. Don't waste years of it chasing other people's goals. Take the time to decide what you want, and go after it wholeheartedly.."

                                  *** Wish you a very Happy New Year (in adv.)...!!! ***