2021 has almost come to end, today is the last day of this long yet so short year. I was going through my journal a few days ago; I had made one this year. Drew and coloured, made weekly and monthly spreads, wrote my goals for the year at the beginning of the book, made daily to-do lists, maintained a Habit Tracker and at the end of each month created a section for “The Best Memories” of that month. It was a lot of fun and it helped me focus when I was anxious or stressed. I was going through it and I re-read all the “Goals for 2021” I had written. I remember the time when I was writing them, it was in the first few days of January. As I was writing each goal, I was cringing internally, thinking, “There is no way I’ll complete any of these. Half of them are almost impossible. It will just be another pretty page in this book.” Still, I wrote them anyway, just to have that “Goals” page in my journal (because which Journal does not have that page?)
And while reading them again a few days ago, I realized I had somehow come to accomplish each of them except one. I had made 15 goals, all under different headings— academic, mental, creative, economic, physical, fun/travel— and out of all those, there was only one I wasn’t able to complete.
I was stunned. Truly stunned. I stared at that page for almost 5 minutes, recalling how without repeating those goals constantly in my mind all the time like a mantra, I had somehow managed to achieve them.
I remember opening my journal every day to write the things I need to do, check on my calendar for the upcoming deadlines and submissions, mark and update my Habit Tracker, draw the spread for the next month. I used to open my journal at least 4 times a day, if not more. And I remember opening and running my eyes on this page of Goals. I don’t know if it stuck with me in my subconscious mind or it was magic, but somehow, I have achieved all that I thought was “impossible” 360 days ago. Things I had laughed on, writing about. “Cut down on chips and soda? No way. I need chips and soda to get rid of that weird taste of hostel food”. I still drink soda and snack on chips, but now I have them once in about 3 weeks or a month, mostly to snack on something when I am having a movie Friday or going home (which is once in about 2 months). I’d like to believe it was me and not magic (give myself a little pat on the back for it too!)
For all of you reading this, I don’t want you to start making a journal, although please do make one if that’s what you wish.
I just want you all to grab a pen and a piece of paper, write “Goals 2022” on the top and list down things below that you wish to achieve in this coming year. Things as big as “Buy a new house” to as small as “Re-read the Harry Potter series” or “Change hairstyle” or maybe even “Drink 8 glasses of water every day” and everything in between. And put this list where YOU would come across it every day— the first page of your planner, on the wall of your wardrobe, in the cabinet in your bathroom, on the mirror on your dresser. Someplace YOU would see it every day, not anyone else. These are your goals, your finish lines. YOU NEED TO KNOW THEM, NOT ANYONE ELSE.
And at the end of the year, look back upon this list of yours and recount all the events that got you close to these goals, that incident when you almost finished that goal, the moment when you had a chance but you couldn’t or didn’t finish it, the time when you achieved that goal— everything that happened through the year regarding your goals.
I will make a new list too. Let’s do it together. And we’ll sit together in the last week of December 2022 to count each of our achievements and promise to work harder to turn our failures into achievements in our next try.
A very happy New Year to you all! I hope you achieve all that you aim for in 2022!
Kritika
Get to know the Author!!