We are on our penultimate lap (Formula 1 talk for F1 fans) of the year. There are 50 days to go. Well, there were 50 days. Now, there are 38. Before we know it, we will be seeing news articles from the major news agencies from all over the world, showing videos, pictures and talking about the year that was.

You will also hear big stories of what the world will be like, going forward into the next year. Last year’s major story from all the experts, analysts, economists and whatever else they want to call themselves; was that we, that is you, me and everyone else in this world; would be facing a world recession, due to major economies falling “prey” of this word, “recession”. Now, as the year filled with predictions of a world recession is coming to a close; the word “recession” no longer applies. That word has been replaced with a term known as “economic soft landing”.

First of all, the experts, analysts, economists and whatever else they want to call themselves; are fortunetellers; looking into their crystal ball, also known as data sheets of the months and years of the past; to predict, yes, “to predict” what is going to happen in the future. Many of these fortunetellers, rarely offer a glimmer of hope.

If we have not met our goals and our new year’s resolutions which we pledged at the beginning of this year; now is the time to give it your all.

It is a time that you may want to evaluate and rethink your goals and strategy. Do you continue with the goals and new year’s resolutions, go all out with the mindset of accomplishing them; or abandon them and start working on your plans for next year.

If the decision is to abandon your goals and new year’s resolutions, it is best to evaluate where you are with them.
Have you achieved more than 75% or 50%? You may have set up proposals or closings for the balance left. Is it worth the push for the rest? You only have 38 days to go.

One of the biggest adrenaline highs you can ever experience is knowing that you have given your all. Run the full race. I have always said, “It ain’t over ’til it’s over”. That “want to achieve” may just be the push you need to achieve what you set out to do. You will find that you have that energy to put all your senses into action. Done! More often than not, the response from having completed what you set out to do for the year or period of time would be, “I never knew I had that oomph, drive, persistency, in me”.

What if, in the end you did not achieve it? You may have achieved 85% or 90% of your target. So close, yet so far. You will be proud of yourself. The biggest takeaway will be that you know personally, you gave it your all. You are no quitter.

At the same time you have built momentum in your work habits which you can carry forward. This means you don’t slow down at the end of the year, but carry forward your work speeds and target and goal achieving habits to the next. You may start to taper off maybe in January or a couple of months later. That momentum could build you a strong foothold in the next year.

Or do you start planning now for 2024? Under most circumstances, you know you aren’t going to hit your targets for 2023, even by a longshot. If you think it is better for you to put the goals and targets for this year aside, and start with your plans for 2024, then go for it. If you start planning now, you have a head start. Have you done the math?

Decisions, decisions. You know yourself best. Don’t make decisions based on excuses. Your results should not be based on excuses. On one hand you really don’t have to meet the goals and new year’s resolutions that you set at the beginning of the year. “Get, get lah. Don’t get oso can” (Malaysian “anything can” talk).

However, do you think you owe yourself the experience of achieving your goals? Decisions, decisions!