I guess by now you must have already seen plenty of quotes and posts on social media relating to resolutions, goals, reflection, plans, and new beginnings.
To those who are clear on what they want to accomplish for the new year, these messages could serve as fuel to move further. To those who are uncertain of their plans, what they see around could bring anxiety.
Are you hungry enough for this year?
As for me, I’ve experienced enough New Year’s Day greetings and wishes to be able to say that it’s alright to be calm and unambitious about the new year. It’s okay if I don’t feel like planning heavily for the next few months. It’s acceptable to just be hungry enough for my goals and resolutions.
Being hungry and driven has its merits. There’s no doubt about that. It propels us to push beyond our limitations and reinforces our capabilities. Yet, I feel that there’s also beauty in being content and in easing up a bit on our relentless aspirations.
And here’s why I feel so:
Reasons for Just Being Content
🏵️ My mental wellbeing is now more important.
Being hungry and driven has its merits. There’s no doubt about that. It propels us to push beyond our limitations and reinforces our capabilities. Yet, I feel that there’s also beauty in being content and in easing up a bit on our relentless aspirations. Don’t get me wrong here. Being content does not equate to being complacent. I just want to be able to appreciate relationships, hobbies, and personal growth without the pressure of continuously climbing the ladder of success. I know that these things will contribute to better mental wellbeing.
I don’t want to look toward the next big thing. This is what I’ve done in my early 30s and it led to unwanted stress, frustration, and loneliness.
🏵️ I want to allow more flexibility in my life.
Sure, I have my plans for the year, but I don’t want to be rigid about them. Circumstances change and in my experience, strictly-laid out plans just bring out stress and feelings of being stuck if not handled properly.
I want to seize unexpected opportunities and open myself to possibilities. I’d love for the universe to surprise me as well!
🏵️ I now have a much clearer definition of success.
In my younger years, my success revolved on what my family and the society expected from me. It took me years to realize that success isn’t a one-size-fits-all thing. Ever since I embarked on freelancing, I’ve slowly gained clarity and alignment of what success is for me.
Now that I have a much clearer view of success, I feel that I am truer to myself and that I don’t need to accept the pressure of conforming to others’ standards. The clarity I have helped me shift my focus from the external gains to internal fulfillment.
If you are enthusiastic about this year and you’re hungry for your goals, it’s totally fine for as long as:
Be Hungry For Your Goals
💯You don’t do things that are not immoral or illegal.
Success built on immoral actions stands on shaky ground. We’ve seen plenty of examples of this both fictional and real. Immoral actions might offer short-term gains, but they often lead to long-term consequences.
💯You don’t step on other people.
I believe that success is often intertwined with how you impact and uplift others. Learning comes from collaboration, constructive feedback, and diverse perspectives. If you step on others, this will tarnish your reputation, erode trust, and hinder your progress. It’s not worth the hunger if you will lose people and yourself in the end.
💯You stick to your core.
Our core values are our compass as it provides clarity and direction in decision-making. More than this, I strongly feel that success grounded in core values tends to be more sustainable. You cannot just be easily swayed by short-term temptations or external pressures if you stay true to your core.
💯You don’t sacrifice the essentials.
No amount of success is meaningful if it comes at the cost of what is essential, like nutrition, sleep, exercise, family, self-care, spirituality, and relationships. I’ve sacrificed two or three of these when I was younger. In hindsight, it’s not worth the increase in salary, or a work promotion.
What I realized over the years is that balancing essentials leads to greater personal satisfaction. Achieving goals at the expense of health or relationships often results in a lack of fulfillment and regrets.
💯 You stay humble.
Staying humble prevents complacency. It reminds you that success is not solely about achievements but also about personal growth. It’s humility that keeps you motivated to strive for improvement even after reaching milestones.
This year, I’d love to have a harmonious balance between ambition and contentment because both have their place in what I define as a fulfilling life. I want to be at peace with where I am while being open to growth. I don’t want to get too fixated on the future. I prefer to focus on being present at each moment and just be grateful.
What about you? What are you hungry for this 2024? Are you confused which goals to pursue and which ones not to? Comment down below!
(We write our content in the hope of making you, our readers, feel a little more inspired in a time when you’re probably feeling low. We hope you feel a little lighter after visiting our site. Then, we know we’ve served our purpose.⭐)
