December 13. “Dreams get you started; discipline keeps you going.” (Jim Rohn)

In the next few weeks, many people will be making New Year’s Resolutions. Come January 5^th (the first Monday of the New Year), the gym where I work out will be packed with people, many of whom I haven’t seen before. People will be pledging themselves to diets, and those who go to Weight Watchers meetings will see an uptick in the number of attendees as well. Others will make resolutions in other parts of their lives. The New Year brings a fresh slate, and an opportunity to dream of better things for oneself.

Sadly, by the first of February, the Weight Watchers meetings will go back to their normal size, and the parking lot at the gym will not be quite so crowded. By the end of the first quarter, some of those who set lofty work goals will already find themselves behind, and even looking to make revisions. It isn’t that these people have changed their dreams – they all still want to achieve, be healthier and so on. Most likely it is that they didn’t make the commitment to discipline needed to reach those goals.

This past weekend I spent some time making a list of goals for myself for 2015. Every year I like to have a list of things I want to get done. I don’t think of them as New Year’s resolutions, rather I look at them as simply a list of projects I want to accomplish. The list I created this past weekend was a brainstorm list, it was purposely broad and inclusive. Over the course of the next couple of weeks, I will narrow that list down to a handful of projects that I will start the year with.

I am sure that not all of the things I settle on as projects will be completed, sometimes things just happen that keep me from hitting all of the goals. Those that do get done will happen because I will apply myself, and will have self-discipline to get them done. Right now I am in the dream phase, to succeed and keep going on those things I want to accomplish I will have to apply discipline.

When the New Year arrives, I will share what some of my projects and goals are for the year. One thing I have found is that sharing the goals with others is a great motivator.

Today my reflection is on the discipline it will take to reach my goals in the New Year. As I narrow my long list down to the precious few things, I want to make sure that the list is reasonable, and that I have a strong commitment to myself to accomplishing it.