I saw in a flick the other night an opening sequence with a homeless person displaying a cardboard sign reading “I tried”. It evoked a feeling of ‘That’s good’ as in it’s more honest than the typical sign reading “Unemployed, please help with Tim Hortons gift cards”. But then it made me think deeper.
Every day, day in and day out we try. We all do. And we fail. Oh, do we effin fail! But we try again. There is no ‘tried’ and that’s it, like you need a round of applause for giving up. The rest of us don’t. We won’t. We can’t.
Tomorrow is the final day of the year and I’m kind of numb to what’s left behind. Someone at work the other day quipped “Bet you’re excited to get out of this year,” as though all my problems will evaporate at midnight tomorrow night. But I get it. The sicknesses. The 3 week move. The 39 day hospital stay for my daughter. There’s much more but I’ve already healed from 2019’s shrapnel and I’m planning on a better future.
It’s set. I’m not going in blindly. That isn’t to disarm the truth that there are trip wires and booby traps everywhere but this time I’ve set some goals. The thing with setting goals and following through with them is you are guaranteed success. Thought out, dated goals get me where I want to go. I don’t just have hopes and dreams but no plan because going that route, you go no where and accomplish nothing. I know this by experience, y’all!
I used to set and follow fairly meticulously. The past two, maybe three years I have penned them down.. then didn’t look at them again. And like the typed up list in my frame sitting in my room, my goals collected dust equally. It’s like cheating on your driver’s exam. Sure, you get your license but you haven’t the slightest clue how to drive. Cheque, please.
I went a little nuts this year with six categories and under each, two to four goals equaling twenty total.
Physical
My goals are to lose 60 lbs by July 1st, approximately 10 a month. Lofty but I can do it. Secondly, I’m going to master my flippin CPAP by V-day. Why V-day you find yourself acksing? Why not. Thirdly, I have a 3-in-1. Upping my daily water intake to 4 leets, limiting my junk food intake and getting 8 hour slumbers. Next!
Spiritual
Twofold and simple. My goals are to read the Bible daily and to never miss church. I got on a bad role in 2019 with either having illness in the house or wanting to sleep in Sundays. I’m over it. That Sunday charge is all my spirit needs.
Financial
These I’ll obvs keep to myself but generally speaking they involve getting ahead. And saving towards ditching the old truck and upgrading. A necessity! Next!
Family
This is a sort of tricky one for me. It feels like a good percentage of who I am is all family when it comes to my twin girls (love you too, Jer!). My goals are literally to be better. The first two are to be more patient and to stay on top of everything. Both are very trying with my sweet sixteeners. There is alot to remember, alot to remind them of and alot always going on. The third item is to open bank accounts for them. They had ones previously but then I switched banks. As they approach the age of 18 this will be a definite necessity.
Mental Health
In 2019 I felt like I came close to my first encounter with depression and no, I didn’t like it. Sure, its cool caress kinda draws you in and whispers things that make you stay down but I never let it overtake me. So this year as I retake my health and my financial standing back, my mental health is just as important I figure. My goals include avoiding all “bad sites” which I will touch on in a sec, avoiding junk and useless carbs, make Christian friends and hit the gym at least 4 days a week. These sites are dating sites and any general sites that are negative to my spirit and that steal my focus. The other 3 goals I feel are self-explanatory, yo.
Writing
Last but never least is my writing. This year I kept up pretty good with the blog and I enthusiastically wrote a second sitcom with two episodes, based on my current job. ‘Twas a breath of fresh air and at this point only one other set of eyes have seen them. My goals for 2020 involves building my online following with a specific guideline, to continue to blog 3 times a week, to finish my screenplay (I’m 20 pages in and it’s been sitting for nearly 2 years) by April 1st. I also will enter writing contests again this year. You never know, am I wrongski?
I started this posting by cutting through the crap. The shiznit if you’ll pardon my fraunch. You can try til your blue in the mug, you gotta go beyond the try. If I try to have a good day it’ll be total shite. If I try to go to the gym I won’t make it. As the mighty Yoda once spewed (say it with me) “Do, or do not. There is no try.” Happy 2020 everyone!!! Cheers and cherries.