By: Tracey Roberts
Changing Our Narrative
In January 2019 I was excited to start the new year. After contemplating what my New Year’s resolutions would be, I opted to complete a vision board instead. The board was filled with more than twenty visions that I saw for myself for 2019. Somehow the board ended up being stored in my hallway closet. I pulled it out and dusted it off after Christmas and reviewed it just to see if any of my visions came to fruition.
I lost weight the first three months, but by April my weight loss slowed and so did going to the gym. Becoming an ESPN columnist didn’t happen either, but I am writing for Reel Urban News. This site has allowed me to explore my vision of writing and becoming a published author. More importantly, I’m almost finished with my memoir.
I didn’t win the thirty million dollars that was on my board, nor did I complete my backyard oasis project. To add to the disappointment, I didn’t get the new job I had hoped for. 2019 wasn’t quite my year, but it wasn’t a total bust either.
The start of a new year for some fills us with the hope that we have yet another opportunity to get it right, and for others, to build upon what is already established, to make life better, to become even greater. It’s an exciting time. We step into the new year with an S on our chest.
However, after about a week into the new year, we sometimes encounter setbacks, which throws us off course, clouding the vision for success. That defeat becomes too much to bear, so we bury the vision board and resolutions, that hope for change, and continue to live in the existence of discontent. We convince ourselves that what we want, desire, deserve, is not meant to be, not this time or this year.
My optimism has me eager to try yet again. This year will be different. 2020 will be the year that I conquer defeat, move from the state of discontent and complacency to triumphant. How? By adopting a concept that is not new but allows me to have the belief that I absolutely can accomplish small goals. Accomplishing small goals can lead to larger goals, thus twice the success. Completing small goals gives us the needed confidence to tackle the larger goals that we have for ourselves, whether it’s a goal for the new year or any goal we so choose and wish to attain.
By achieving small goals we can elevate ourselves to new found success. It can be as simple as completing a to-do list. When you scratch off items that you accomplish, it is a success and the feeling is good. You move on to the next item, and so on.
For 2020, after completing my memoir, my goal is to pay for it to be professionally edited. If I can get it published this year, that would be a larger goal, but having an edited book is something that I can achieve in 2020. I’ve broken down my backyard project to smaller projects until it is completed. I can’t have it all at once, but watching it transform will give me the joy and peace in the space that belongs to me.
In 2019, I interviewed for the job I wanted at two different companies. I had callbacks for both. I didn’t get either job, but I represented myself well and received excellent feedback from a person at one of the businesses, someone whom I respect, so I’ll take that feedback and adjust my goals for job searches in 2020.
After reviewing my 2019 vision board, I learned that my vision was too broad and I needed to narrow the focus; and as goals are accomplished, expand my vision as necessary. Quite frankly, my 2019 vision was chaotic. For 2020, I’m starting out with three goals on a vision board, which will be my screensaver. I’ll see it every day. These goals will have a step-by-step approach to meeting the objectives. As the phrase goes, baby steps. I’m up for the challenge, yet again. I will not be defeated! I am a conqueror!
