Remember the end of last year, towards the beginning of this year; when we were raring and eager to go and rush into the new year? We may have had one or two new year’s resolutions… or some eager beavers may have had a long scroll with a list of their new year’s resolutions from being punctual (it is said that being on time is being late, you have to be early), to exercising regularly, to eating the right food (organic – interesting. Depending on which angle you are coming from), to losing weight without exercising by working on some fancy idea…. and the list goes on. There were some on the floating flotilla – no plans, no aims, no news year’s resolutions (what good are they if we know we aren’t going to start because the results are the same as every year – none!).

Why the “floating flotilla”? As long as the boat is afloat… Some people believe same year in, same year out. It is status quo. Is it the same year in, same year out? Could be… except for the fact that we are growing older as each year goes by.

I used to tell my daughter and other sports people that “maintaining” seems like a bad word. There really is no such thing. We are getting older by the second. This means that what we achieved last year will require maybe a bit more energy, knowhow and training this year to get the same results as last year. If we don’t put in this extra effort; our results may be a bit lower or slower than last year.

Then again, here, people in this context of the floating flotilla; have no expectations of life and move from day to day, aimlessly. That’s because they have done it all?

What about those who are eager with their new year’s resolutions, but lose interest within the first few days of the new year? These are generally in the herd mentality crowd. Others do, they want to do. They want to be seen or be known as being in the “with it” or “hip” crowd. I wonder if “with it” and “hip” phrases from a decade or so ago are still current. A few days out of their comfort zone and it’s over.

There are those people who by now (the end of the 11th month of the year and the end of the 1st day of the 12th month, December; who have achieved some, if not all of their goals they have set out to do. Congratulations to them. They put in a plan, set out to make their goals a reality, and ta daaaa – they have achieved them

Then, they are some who are working at their goals as there are still 30 days left before the end of the year. I fall in this category. I am still at “battle royale” against time to achieve the three goals I set out for this year.

I am still at my 15 kilometer per day walks, working towards keeping fit, healthy and my weight down. I am not quite at my ideal weight and there are days, when I am slightly overweight. Yes, I weigh myself everyday and take note of a heap of other statistics, too. It is a work-in-progress.

My second goal, a private one; is also a work-in-progress.

My third and final goal for the year is to write 100 articles of a minimum 500 words and onwards. Up to today – 78 articles. I think the first half of the year, I was taking my own time, not pushing the envelope. Then, when I published my 25th article for 2021 at the end of June, and told my friend, Richard Kok, about it; he said, “Not bad… 25 articles in 6 months, you should complete 50 articles by the end of the year. Great achievement by itself.” Richard has always been a great supporter in all I do. He and his daughter, Maryann; have always been awesome supporters of my daughter, Laura; and her swim competition progress both in Malaysia and in the U.S. Maryann, herself was a state swimmer representing Selangor. It is the same team that Laura was in, except that she was 3 years Laura’s senior.

What? 50 only by the end of the year? A red flag went up in my mind, alarm bells started ringing. I want 100, not 50. I went into overdrive and so far have done 53 articles in 5 months. 22 to go in 30 days. I am going for it!

I like the challenge. I think it pushes me to see what I can come up with next.

Others would be more than happy if they had the results as what I have achieved. To me, the race is not over. I won’t slow down til I touch the wall; the finish line. It’s the same nail-biting, sitting-at-the-edge-of-our-seats thrill as watching Max Vestappen’s and Lewis Hamilton’s challenge to be Formula 1 World Champion 2021. Haha.

That is what it is. It is moving out of our comfort zone. I’m luvin’ it!

Well, it’s the final countdown, the last 30 days of the year.