A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION?

Sir,

The problem with New Year’s resolutions is that they go from desire to ‘shoulds’. When one sets out a goal to achieve something, it is because they have the desire and drive to get there.

But once ‘I must get up early in the morning’ turns to ‘I should get up early in the morning’, the snooze button will be pressed again, and again until it can snooze no more.

That is when the alarm time will be re-set, and before you know it, it’s next year again.
The second problem with New Year’s resolutions is that they do not seem to harness the energy of determination, resolve and conviction at all. New Year’s resolutions are full of ‘shoulds’ which stem from wanting to make changes in our lives without assessing the reasons why we are where we are in the first place. Without understanding what is keeping us stuck, it’s hard to move past it no matter our goal.

Goals

I often find that our government is often fraught with should-it as well. At the beginning of each term, government sets out goals and objectives to work towards, but somewhere in the long run it loses that determination and purpose.
The setting of new year’s resolutions is a painful reminder that changing our habits is hard, even when we recognise that our current habits are sabotaging our well-being.

We may resolve to develop new habits that will serve us better, but if there isn’t a strong inner commitment that comes from understanding how we are sabotaging ourselves and why we need to stop, the probability of follow-through is very low.

Achieving

For that reason, I find it hard to decide whether Vision 2022 is a goal or a ‘new year’s resolution’. This is because I have since realised that it is easier to work towards achieving something if it is presented as the present tense, rather than the future tense. Looking at Vision 2022 as something the country will achieve reminds me of the snooze button, all over again. What we are doing is we are replacing a limiting belief that doesn’t serve us with one that does. Now, what will really drive us towards achieving this vision is sitting down and realising what has kept us stuck in third world status for almost 51 years of independence

Elimiating

Only then can we start slowly eliminating that which still makes us a ‘developing’ country.
Understanding the root cause of the problem is the first and most crucial step towards eliminating it. Without it nothing can be done.

Now, as a nation, under the guidance of our ever determined government, we need to reflect on why we are so behind the rest of the world, and why we need to move forward and catch up.
Build up the determination, the drive and foster collective cooperation and who knows, maybe Vision 2022 can even be realised earlier.

Nomsa

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