We’re creeping up on the end of a calendar year. It seems people often use this time to do two things: reflect on choices they’ve made over the past year, and think about what they might do better.
When I was twelve, I remember a New Year’s resolution that my dad shared with me. He said: “In this next year I plan to aim higher.” I must have given him a curious look, so he explained.
He told me that it was something he learned from his own father. “Too many times we don’t give ourselves enough credit,” he said. “We set our sights low, thinking that anything else would be too difficult to reach. But, what we find is that ‘doing just enough’ often doesn’t bring us a sense of fulfillment. And, surprisingly, by aiming a little higher we find that it brings out the best in us. In fact, it brings out qualities and talents that we might never know we had.”
It was one of the few lessons that my dad repeated to me over the years, as if he couldn’t stress enough how important it was to set higher goals, to run an extra half-mile, or to study just a few minutes longer. No, I don’t always achieve every single goal…but I accomplish way more than I would if I simply settled.
No matter where we are in our lives, no matter what our circumstances, and no matter what obstacles might stand in our way, we always have the option of aiming higher. And, in the process, we just might discover things we never before thought possible. It might be the best resolution we can make.
(It’s your turn, Galahad fans. Do you aim high? Or are you satisfied with just getting by, with doing ‘good enough’? Do you think it’s connected to your confidence? Is it a trait that you’re born with, or do you think it’s a strategy that can be learned? As always, you’re encouraged to share your thoughts right here. And thank you for visiting Club Galahad often!)