I didn’t meet my goals last year…

I didn’t meet my goals last year.
It doesn’t matter what they are right now, what matters is that I didn’t meet them.
It wasn’t because of the market, or the weather, or the school holidays.
It wasn’t because of health, or staffing, or interest rates.
It was because I didn’t apply myself as I might have.
I had allowed myself to compromise on my vision for my life.

I let myself be seduced by kind words and wrapped them around me like a warm duvet.
My ego then recycled these comforting words and built a reality inside: you’re the man, you’ve done more than most, so take it easy.

My routines slipped and I became under-slept and overweight.
The unlimited digital distractions around me were allowed to have their wicked way with me morning, noon, and night – I spent more time buried in Netflix than buried in books.

Organisation, orderlyness, tidiness and self-control were absent.
I forsook family, friends, fun, fitness, faith in myself and financial victory.

I allowed myself to be mediocre, average and content at times.
And others petulant, needy, impatient and ungrateful.
A poor cocktail when secure confidence, patience, and dignified strength and love are the North Star of my character.

I have avoided conflict because I am ‘such a nice guy’ and paid the price with ulcerations on my spirit and a tarnished reputation. Like holding back seasoning in a meal, I have spared the truth and spoilt the dinner. Or at least made it less delicious than it might have been.

The most dangerous part of celebrating a success is the warm feeling of contentment that makes you think you have done enough. There is much to do and the opportunities are endless, so don’t stop. There is a river of opportunity flowing around us all, it is just a matter of finding how to get into it.

I didn’t bookmark my goals over a 1 year cycle – the big ones that I am heading for are all still there and of course over 2024 I got closer to them. We are all bigger than one year, the older we get the shorter a year is. Getting up again and keeping on going is what we do.

Alongside the joy I have in getting these feelings on paper, I hope this unsentimental share amongst all the fluffy positivity causes you to take stock of yourself today and apply a critical lens for a moment or two. I am a huge believer in positivity and being generous to yourself, however I think that we can all benefit from being a bit tougher on ourselves as well sometimes – be honest with ourselves, the vast majority of us could do a lot more than we are doing now.

Now that that’s written down, it’s time to get into 2025! I hope your 2025 is amazing.