2020 Vison

In the days that led to the close of 2019, almost every post of social media was filled with people declaring that 2020, was the going to be their year. We were entering a new decade, a new year.

For me, it was a struggle trying to define my 2020 vision and goals, but that struggle caused me to find the one goal I needed to focus on for this year. From that one goal, all my other pursuits would fall into place. Commitment to the process would spur commitment to my vision. Without the former, there would be no later.

New Mindset New Goals

I came into 2020 with one aim and one aim only, to change more areas of my mindset, mainly in the area of procrastination fuelled by emotions, fuelled by damaged areas of my mindset, caused by prolonged bouts of depression. I have been working on areas of my mindset for the past 9 years and I’m still a working process that is making great progress.

Not knowing what the year entailed, I knew I would face some tough challenging times. I knew there would be days when I would feel like giving up. I knew there would be days when things would seem impossible. There would be days when I was tired, weary, and drained, and days when things wouldn’t go according to plan. I knew there would be days when I would be pushed to my limits and every door that could slam shut in my face, would slam shut in my face. I knew on all of those days, I would have a choice, and what I did with that choice would determine whether I met my goal or not.

I couldn’t see the future, but I entered the year knowing that over the next twelve months I would be tested and tried, pulled and pushed, prodded, and pronged to see if I had what it took to stay committed to the process. That is why we have goals. Goals are just things we want to achieve, the driving force is getting through everyday life without allowing everyday life to deter us from the process of acquiring the goal. Without the trials of everyday life there would be no need for goals, no growth, no development, no change.

On December 31st I made a commitment to a process that would get me through the next twelve months without being distracted by negative thoughts. Without becoming discouraged to the point of emotional self-sabotage. I made a commitment to stay committed. To not allow my mind and emotions to dictate my life, but to renew my mind daily with God’s word, to take captive every thought that led me astray. To get up when I felt like staying down. To find a way when it seemed there was no way. To keep trying even when it seemed like I was getting nowhere. To be proactive instead of waiting for things to happen and to believe in myself more. 2020 was going to be a year of intentional living and mental breakthroughs.

Changing My Mind

If I wanted to be successful in what God had called me to do I needed to further change areas of my mindset, the areas that caused me to sometimes drift and then feel so discouraged about drifting I drifted even more. If I was going to change my mind I had to recognise when it was leading me astray, recognise the emotions attached to the thoughts occupying my mind. I had to start thinking about what I was thinking about and challenging those thoughts. Where did they stem from, could my emotions be trusted? Just because my emotions were real and I could feel them, did not mean they were true and could be trusted. Finally, I had to discipline myself by applying the truth, determination, and drive to every situation in order to stay on course.

On December 31st I committed to a process that would change my mindset, change my life and conquer the steps required to lay the foundation for establishing myself as a best-selling author, make myself more visible to the word, develop more confidence and seize more opportunities. No longer content on sleepwalking, I was ready to wake up

Mindset Is Everything

Romans 12:2 in the Amplified Bible reads – And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].

Coming into lockdown I kept my mindset goal and process at the forefront of my daily tasks. I did this by remembering the words and vow I made to myself on December 31st. I had one goal and one goal only. I may not have seen isolation and lockdown coming, but I reminded myself that I knew there would be challenging and almost impossible days and I knew on those days I would have to dig deep to stay as committed to my goal and its process as I would on any other day. During isolation, the goal remained the same, so too the process, with a few alterations to fit the surrounding climate. I shifted lanes, now it was no longer about producing quantity, but delivering quality. It wasn’t about how much I did, it was about staying committed to the process, and staying committed to the process ensured things got done.

Coming out of lockdown I have begun to see the fruit of my labor. Labour that at the time seemed like minute baby steps in comparison to what I wanted to achieve. Now out of lockdown, I have begun to see my resilience, determination, persistence, and growth.

It has been tough. Yesterday was tough, today is tough, only God knows what tomorrow will be like, but regardless, the goal remains the same.

To be honest, the process is what keeps me going, enabling me to function to the best of my abilities, ensuring I get things done. Often it is the thought of how I will feel if I don’t remain committed that gives me the motivation to keep going when I feel like I have nothing left to give. That’s where my 4 step process comes into play. It is at that moment my emotions can not always be trusted. I’m learning to do what needs to be done, whether I feel like it or not!

The process helps me plan and progressively maps my way through the days and weeks. It allows me to seize new opportunities and best of all it allows me to cease from drifting and start living.

What goals did you enter the year with and has your process of commitment stood the test of time?

If you have fallen by the way, please do not be discouraged, for me, every day is a new day, which means today can be your new day. Start small, define your goal, but then commit to the process that will carry you there. If you don’t you will end relying on your emotions, and after they have convinced you to not do something, they will turn around and condemn you for listening

By the time I get to December 13st 2020, I don’t want to recognise myself, I want to be unrecognisable

Self-development goals are always the best!

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