But not this year...I honestly didn't think I would survive 2013, and I know we got a few more days left until the end so lemme go knock on some wood, lol. But seriously, I've let fear and worry cripple me for most of my adult life. I think it started way back at the end of my senior year in college, when I received my first rejection letter, ever, to one of the law schools I applied to. Up until then in my life whatever I applied myself to always worked out without any real effort on my part. High school, college, part time jobs, I had never heard "no" before. It hit me like a ton of bricks when I didn't get in anywhere. I didn't have a plan B, so I had to move back home and get a job until I figured out what my next move was going to be.
Over the next year I studied my butt off, got a tutor for the LSAT and I finally got in to law school. I was so so ecstatic and then I started law school and quickly realized it was not for me. Again I was faced with the fact that I had no plan B. I had been preparing to be a lawyer since elementary school...and here I was walking away from the very thing that would make that possible.
Let me insert here that I am of proud Jamaican heritage, which translates to mean, "Gal yah betta find yaself a job quick, quick!" in my family, lol. So I got a job, and another, and another until I found one that I could do really well. I worked hard and I was promoted through the ranks, but something was missing. You know how people always talk about their purpose in life, well I believe we all have one. And I knew I wasn't living mine but I didn't know how to fix it.
Year after year has passed and events have have occurred in my life that have stalled my progress many times. I would make pledges and promises to myself to change this and that every New Year and then lose focus 30 days in. As we approach 2014, many feel safe in hoping for a change. I know all too well that by the end of January, too many of us will be back to doing our same habits. And it's not because what we want is impossible...its because we don't have a strategy! (lightbulb moment)
Now don't get me wrong I have faith and believe that God can do the impossible because He has done it over and over again. But, what am I doing to prepare for that breakthrough? It like I have been sitting around waiting for an email from God outlining what my next moves should be...crazy right? I will own up to it, but I can no longer let that be the way I handle things.
I have come to know that there are some key things to consider (thanks to Felicia Scott). :
1. Know Your Greater Mission- One of the primary reasons we don't achieve our goals is because we don't know the greater "why" behind the "what we want to achieve."
2. Know Your Obstacles- Sometimes we act out of uneducated inspiration, so we don't know what it will take to reach our goals. We will stack the odds in our favor when we understand the potential challenges and obstacles ahead of time.
3. Know Yourself- The biggest obstacle we will ever face when going for anything we want is "self." We can't afford to be ignorant about ourselves and who we really are at our core. We must know our motivators, our strengths and our weaknesses. If we actively self-manage, we've accomplished the hardest part of an endeavor.
As 2013 comes to a close, I know for a fact that I blocked a lot of blessings that God tried to send my way. That will not be the case next year. I'm going to put this extremely analytical mind I was blessed with and begin self-reflecting on a daily basis to ensure I am not standing in this same place December 2014.
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