By Waiching
As I write this, January 1st 2020 is just around the corner: the year of the summer Olympic games held in Tokyo, Japan is amongst several other notable events in the calendar. It is also the last year I spend in my thirties as I hit the big 4-0 in 2021 (though I don't feel like I am almost in my forties).
It is said that people continue to make resolutions at the beginning of January, - only to procrastinate & perhaps not follow them through as the months pass by. But simply wanting to change is just not enough; rather than change is by making it happen for real, and thus persevering with it.
One definition of a new years resolution is: ''When a person resolves to change an undesired trait or behaviour to accomplish a personal goal or otherwise improve their quality of life''. Simply put, it is a promise s/he makes for the upcoming year to improve their lives and themselves.
These resolutions come in copious forms: from quitting smoking, exercising more, spending less time on social media to finding and securing a new job, spending more quality time with friends and loved ones & taking up a new hobby or pastime. The possibilities are endless. Yet ideally, resolutions should be an ongoing process -, rather than something that ought to be achieved in under one year.
This is the first time I've made these new year resolutions, well, make that 'aims', as these are the things I want to fulfil: before then, I didn't care much for them, but given the challenges, problems, issues, as well as the happy times 2019 have posed, by reflecting on each of these, it has given me food for thought in regards to what I want to possibly & ultimately achieve next year and doing my utmost best in my efforts in making sure that this becomes a far more prosperous, happy and engagingly fulfilling one.
I can't go back and undo the mistakes of the past of 2019, - if anything, by looking ahead to next year with promising intentions it can be a way of making up for the errors and mistakes of yesteryear.
I'll be entering the beginning of next year with a clean slate, starting things afresh with the intention of gradually seeing, or be it accomplishing each one of these goals through.
Throughout 2020, I will be focusing on each of these intentions or be it goals, one at a time as they serve as my personal road map of (hopefully) progress, triumph, self-fulfilment and achievement for the next 12 months; that & I chose a set of goals that were and are a) manageable & doable, b) achievable within my limits & based on my work strengths, skills, performances, as well as according to how important these were to me for the duration of the following year.
The SMART goals model entails relatively concise, target-specific and challenging objectives that enable you or me to define precisely what it is that I want to accomplish out of it. This should be in as much detail as possible, as well as what the end result will be or look like, who needs to be or is involved for you to reach your goal & why you want to accomplish it.
By utilising the SMART goals concept: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-sensitive, I have thought long and hard about my goals, which are both reasonable and clear, and what I want to gain out of next year within that exact timeframe. These are:
- To develop and foster better working relations with my work colleagues as of December - so that we can all work together as a department and within the store as a whole, to achieve what needs to be done on the day. When times are busy, we and I need to work to the fullest and to produce positive and encouraging results.
- I want to try to better understand people on an empathetic level by the end of the year - with certain colleagues at work, they can prove challenging, difficult to work, deal with and to understand. But I am usually someone who can be forgiving; I can't change these people, rather I want to be 'on their level' by being understanding, objective, mindful, patient and understanding of their intentions, whatever those might be and who they are, individually. By doing so, I minimise any potential and major arguments, fallouts and disagreements. & even if I may not fully agree with them or not see eye-to-eye, I hope to be more conscious of him/her.
- To learn and let go of grudges as of New Years Day onwards - holding onto things that were negative experiences and by dwelling on them is pointless, as we can't undo them. I have to move on, live and fight another day and remain hopeful the next one is better.
- To stop saying ''I'm sorry'' unless I genuinely meant it starting from New Years Day - I am a very apologetic person and feel bad when I do something wrong; very often I utter this phrase, not just because I feel terrible but I do so as an immediate response. We all make mistakes and saying sorry is a way of acknowledging we are and can be wrong... but it would be far better if we take steps to ensure we don't make a mistake or do something entirely wrong, just by asking the person if we or I am not sure of something. By over-apologising, I end up feeling guilty for something which is small, random and not a big deal: in being sorry, I have to be truly and necessarily apologetic for the act, which is very serious, palpable and considered as morally unacceptable. I should also replace 'sorry' with another word or phrase: 'excuse me', 'I'd like to ask one question'', 'thank you for listening' or 'I understand, thank you'.
- Learn to better control my emotions by June - I need to gain control of my feelings before my feelings overwhelm me, so I can keep a level head and think more rationally, particularly in such highly emotionally charged confrontations and conflicts. When times are rough and the going gets tough, I must remain sane, calm, collective, not rush into things and think them through and then act upon them.
- To let go of and forget about people who aren't making my life better
- Quit being aggressive and irate beginning January 3rd when I return to work - If something goes wrong, s/he says something that annoys, irritates me, I must ignore it and focus on doing my work. I can take constructive criticism, but when someone is nitpicking and focusing on my flaws and errors, it can be offputting. I guess I need to focus on being positive and knowing what I can do and to work hard, whilst curbing my emotions.
- If I am completely or entirely unsure about something, I need to ask to make sure, rather than dive in and end up making a mistake - very often I do something and when I make a mistake, I'm like ''oh no'', and so I want to halt this. This is due to the idea of asking for help is a sign of weakness, - when in reality, this is the complete opposite. I need to speak up when I am having a problem or issue, so s/he can help me and this benefits myself as well.
- To be more adventurous and to have fun - too often this year I would have a serious look on my face, rather than to let go, smile and laugh, which I did so, but not very often. I want to do a good job, but also I want to see the lighter side to things, relax and enjoy making fun banter with my colleagues by speaking up more & stepping outside of my comfort zone of being quiet and shy. There is a positive side of my character that I literally want to bring out and express to others. I don't consider myself a comedienne, yet once in a while, I try to brighten up people's moods by being playful, saying things that make them laugh & smile.
- I need to establish my self-worth at work and to continue to give 110% in terms of effort - as well as cleaning the tables, sweeping the floor, changing the bins, replenishing cutlery and sauces and syrups for the soda machines, I aim to be more proficient and knowledgeable at the back by filling things up, making items, as well as possibly getting till trained. Having undertaken the role for over a year now, and knowing the basics, I want to go 2, 3 steps further and develop and to flourish as a worker.
- I have to learn how to prioritize my work - too often I undertake numerous tasks, without giving consideration to, nor assigning each of them in order of importance first & foremost. By dealing with the most vital one first and getting it out of the way with, I can then concentrate on and move onto the next set of tasks.
- To improve my Spanish speaking skills (ongoing) - I don't think I'll be as fluent in Spanish as I'd like to be, but I want to be able to say more than just '!hola!', 'adios' and 'Buenas notches'.
- Recognising other people's contributions and efforts more often - accrediting and thanking them, showing gratitude and appreciating him/her for helping out or for their work input by saying thanks. Particularly those from other departments who go out of their way to assist the team is nice to see
- Practice self-care (whenever I have had a bad day or I don't feel so good) - self-care is an activity that we undertake deliberately in order to take care of our mental, emotional, physical health. Whenever I am feeling low, burned out or low on stamina, I should listen to upbeat music, think positive thoughts or do something to make me feel good on the inside, even after a bad day at work to replenish my energy for the next working day
- Take a trip to New York - I want to visit our countries and cities during my holidays, and New York is on my bucket list of places that I am eager to go to. My sister has been there several times and it is a firm favourite destination of hers.
- If I am not happy with something, I must do something to change it to make me happy - whatever that may be, the longer I leave it, the worse I might probably feel and so it is important for me to take steps to counter this
- To be kinder to myself - at times, I was harsh on myself, only because I wanted to do better and strive for success. Now, when I think about it, whenever I do something good or positive, or when someone gives or offers me positive feedback to be gracious, grateful for it & to owe it to myself by rewarding or treating myself. Sometimes, I push myself too hard or can overwork myself to the bone. Although I am a fast worker, I need to slow down at times when it is necessary and to give some thought to what I am about to do next, and then how to best approach it.
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