Tag: Goals

New Year new goal

January 5, 2025

I am one of the few people that I know who can honestly say that they have not broken a new year’s resolution for more than ten years. Over ten years ago I resolved to never make another resolution. I make goals each year. Not just one thing that I may not accomplish.

These goals are of varying types. Usually, I set several during a year. In 2009 I needed to get a new job when I was laid off in January. I found that job in March. In 2010 I set the same goal when I was terminated from that company. I celebrated that dismissal because the owner of the company was a tyrant.

That new job did not appear until 2012 when I dropped the first company from my resume’. That made me realize they had been spreading lies about me. Recently they had problems of their own and I can say that I hope they soon recover. Tough times for others are not a time to rejoice.

This year I have a few goals already in mind. Publishing my book “Doulos” on this site and using several E-book platforms as well. We’ll see how quickly that goes. I have five other projects that I hope to complete and present to you here this year. My problem is which will be next.

To do this, my reading goal on Goodreads has been adjusted down to one hundred. Writing and publishing will be my priority until I can reduce my backlog. These are personal accomplishments I will concentrate on. My wife and I are working on a book together. We hope to finish it before the year is out.

We also have several quilts that we would like to finish. They are what are lovingly referred to as UFOs (Unfinished Objects). Then there is the completion of the dining room and kitchen renovation we began between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Several DIY repairs will follow that one.

Each year we perform these tasks as we have money, time, and energy. This is nothing new for us. We have been here for a while and did not need to make changes until recently. We have replaced the water heater, HVAC system, refrigerator, and dishwasher. Things wear out and must be taken care of. There has been talk of a hot tub and possible long vacations. These are in the we want and planning stages.

I am sure that you have some things you would like to see started or completed in the next few months. Restore a classic car, write your first or next song, get married, have children, or buy a home. These are all worthy goals. Set your own and see where they lead.

One thing I think we should all strive for is a more positive attitude towards others. This could be as easy as taking yourself off the throne in your life and putting others on that pedestal. It may sound hard. Nothing worthwhile is easy. Give it a shot.

Have a great year and let’s get together this December and compare notes. I believe we will all be pleasantly surprised.

©Copyright 2025 by Charles Kensinger

I Do Not Resolve

January 3, 2023

Several years ago, I made a resolution before the new year, and I have not broken it to this day. Have you made a promise this year to do something that will change your life? This is the thing to do. You may be like me and have succeeded in previous years.

Some resolve to lose weight. I was skinny as a boy and through high school and college. When I was married my wife and I were young and trim. I had heard the joke about turning sideways and being mistaken for a zipper. As I grew older my weight increased and now, I am considered obese. I am working on this problem. I have never resolved to lose weight.

Smoking, drinking, taking narcotics, or other illegal substances have never been something that I do. I have activities that I enjoy. They are not illegal and in my mind are not immoral. Some of you would say, “I would never do that.” Good. If you do not enjoy it or think it is “not beneficial” to you, don’t do it. Make that a resolution.

What I am talking about is that when you recognize something as bad for you, stop doing it. I do not mouth off to stupid people. It can get you hurt. I learned that the hard way. I still say stupid things. Only to my friends. They understand.

If there is something that you should do, like bathing more often, eating breakfast, reading, spending time exercising, or just enjoying people, do it. Do it as often as you want. Except for eating breakfast. Once a day is enough.

Waiting for a particular time to do something is not the best way to make changes in your life. A friend of mine decided he would quit smoking. For years it was his New Years’ resolution. He rarely made it through January. Someone told him to quit the next time he finished a pack. That did not help.

One day he was at a business meeting and pulled out his cigarettes at break time to leave the building to take a smoke. Someone detained him to talk about sports or something that interested him. When the next open time came, he continued the conversation.

After returning home, he left the smokes at home. If he did not have them with him, he did not buy more. He found something else to take his mind off them. When he told me about this, he had quit for five months. The process started three years before and he still had that partial pack.

Setting goals is a good thing. The first of the year can be a good time. So can any time of the year. If you slip, start again. That is how I deal with my weight. Every time I overeat or eat the wrong things, I refocus my energy to do better. Sometimes I lose three or four pounds and only regain one or two. That is better than I have done in the past.

Oh, what was that last New Year’s resolution? I resolved to never make another one. It worked.

©Copyright 2023 by Charles Kensinger