It is said that anything that has a beginning also has an end. In a similar vein, anything that has end also has (or had) a beginning. Just as there cannot be a beginning without an end, there also cannot be an end without a beginning because each of them necessarily implies, involves and entails the other. Every beginning is a journey towards an end, while every end is a journey from the beginning. In addition, just as every beginning is a journey towards an end, every end is also a journey towards a new beginning.
It is obvious that the end of a year and the beginning of a new one is a clear reflection of this philosophy. As a New Year begins, its end is a matter of time. As a year ends, the beginning of a new one is also a matter of time. In addition, the reality of the end of the New Year is also a matter of time. As a matter of fact, every old year was once a New Year, and every New Year will eventually become an old year (with time). Though a year passes by, the events and activities become part of history.
October, the ninth month of the year, marks the beginning of the last quarter of the year. Hence, it marks the beginning of the ending of the year. Every New Year is naturally ushered in with high hopes, optimisms and expectations. I am confident that you were not only very expectant, but also hopeful, of a better, brighter and more prosperous life for yourself at the beginning of this year. However, the big question is, "How many of your expectations at the beginning of this year have become realities?"
It is of absolute importance that you pause for a while and ask yourself this question of all questions. Otherwise, there may be no meaningful difference between where you are now, and where you will be by this time next year. It is very worrisome that after ushering a New Year with high hopes, optimisms and expectations; the euphoria and excitements of the New Year gradually fade away as the year grows old. Worse still, some expectations of the New Year become jettisoned and forfeited with time.
The truth of this claim may be obvious in your personal experiences and observations in the lives of most people around you. This, however, is not a way of saying that the expectations of everyone in every year are not achieved. The bitter truth is that only a very negligible percentage of humanity celebrate meaningful achievements and accomplishments at the end a year. For most others, the goals, ambitions and expectations of the year are either partially (or partly) achieved, or completely betrayed.
Another big question for you is, "Where do I belong?" Are you among those who have meaningful success to show for the year, or are you among those who achieve a part of their expectations for the year? Worse still, are you among those whose expectations for the year are completely defeated? It is very important that you take stock of your life in order to ascertain where you belong. This is an obligation you owe yourself because it is a precondition for having a good beginning in the next year.
One of the most significant observations I have made is that most adults do not know how to end a year, and how to start a New Year. Since the end of the year coincides with the celebration of Christmas, and the beginning of a year coincides with New Year celebration, it is a pity that most adults equate their preparations for these great celebrations with their preparations for the end of the year and the beginning of a New Year respectively. This is a common mistake that is fuelled by ignorance.
As a matter of fact, in the opinion of most adults, preparing for the end of the year is synonymous with preparing for Christmas; while preparing for the beginning of a year is synonymous with preparing for New Year celebration. To make the matter worse, many organisations, associations, unions, clubs, etc organise parties to mark the end of the year, as well as the beginning of a year. This is not a way of saying that there is something intrinsically wrong with any of these celebrations.
The point being argued, however, is that the preparations for these celebrations and the celebrations themselves have the inevitable consequence of shifting the focus of most people away from the vital, critical, ultimate, supreme, ideal and most valuable activity of the season - appraising your performance in the year. It is worthy of note that just as preparing for wedding is not the same with preparing for marriage; preparing for Christmas celebration is not the same as preparing for the end of a year.
In addition, preparing for New Year celebration is not the same with preparing for the beginning of the year. Just as preparing for wedding is preparing for a day event, while preparing for marriage is preparing for a life event; preparing for Christmas and/or New Year celebration is preparing for a day event, while preparing for the end of the year and/or the beginning of a New Year is preparing for life. This is an axiomatic every adult must come to terms with before he can enjoy a meaningful life.
If you were asked to review this year, what will you parade as your achievements in the year? Perhaps, most people will have no significant success to show for the year. It is a pity that the only success many people record at the end of every year is an additional year to their ages. However, wise people do not celebrate age. Rather, they celebrate the achievements that accompany their age. You were asked earlier, "How many of your expectations at the beginning of this year have become realities?"
If you are also asked why only a very negligible percentage of humanity celebrate meaningful achievements at the end of a year, what would be your answer? Why is it that most people have nothing meaningful to celebrate at the end of every year? Before you can answer these questions, you must answer another question, "How do people start a New Year?" But before you can answer this question correctly, you should also answer another one, "How did they end the previous year?"
How you end a year often determines how you start the year after it, and how you start a New Year often determines how you end the year. The reason most adults have no meaningful accomplishments to celebrate at the end of a year is that they made no meaningful preparations for the end of the previous years and the beginning of the year. Worse still, they do so year after year. It is a pity that out of ignorance, most adults are more committed to preparing for a day event, rather than for their dear lives.
Life is a school. While we matriculate into it at birth, we graduate from it at death. However, just as practiced in conventional schools, there are periodical examinations in the school of life. You will never be (qualified to be) promoted to the next level of life until you pass the examinations of the present level. However, unlike conventional schools, the questions for examinations in the school of life for every individual are best set by the individual himself, though someone else may guide him in doing so.
Furthermore, one of the best times to conduct the examination of the school of life is towards 'the end' or 'beginning of' a year. The best way to end a year is to examine how you faired in every aspect of your life in the year. Among the best standards for examining your success and accomplishments in a year are the goals you set at the beginning of the year. This is because, you measure your success in a year based on your goals, proposals, aspirations, ambitions, wishes, projections and plans for the year.
Hence, it will be difficult to ascertain your performance in a year towards its end, if you did not set any goal at its beginning. It is a pity that most adults start every New Year with high hopes, optimisms and expectations, but without any goals, proposals, aspirations, ambitions, wishes, projections and plans. This is why they cannot ascertain whether they are progressing or not at the end of the year. Life is like a business. You should know the financial status of your business at every point in time.
Realising your mistakes and failures in a year, especially after appraising your performance in the year towards its end, usually has the tendency of inspiring, motivating and challenging you to prepare to overcome them in the year after. The reason for this claim is that appraising the year is not an end in itself, but a means to an end. Your findings from your evaluation of your performance in a year determine the goals you set for the New Year, as well as the steps you take in the New Year.
This is one of the key benefits of appraising your performance towards the end of a year. Except you take stock of your life towards the end of the year and realise the areas you excelled and the areas you failed; you will not know the areas to improve on in your life. When this is annual success-inducing ritual is neglected repeatedly; success and the future are forfeited, even without any regret. This is one of the reasons most people remain static in the journey to success year after year, even as time flies.
Ending a year and/or starting a New Year without meaningful preparations has disastrous long-term, if not lifetime, consequences. You find yourself in the best position to set reasonable goals and make meaningful plans for a New Year after appraising a year that is about to end. You will do yourself a great favour this year if you will focus on preparing for the end of the year and the beginning of another year, rather than preparing for Christmas and New Year, respectively.
If you treat this message with the seriousness it deserves, it will position your feet on the fast lane to success. If you do not, you may continue to wonder why success continuously eludes you, despite your efforts to make it a reality in your life. Do not forget in a haste that the reason you should not treat issues about your life with levity is because you are the best beneficiary of your success, but the worst victim of your failure. Your destiny is safest in your hand. That is where you should keep it.
Eugene C. Onyibo is a motivational speaker, trainer, business coach, personal financial management expert, entrepreneur, philosopher and prolific writer. He is the Director of Skyheight Success Consult, the Organisation that provides the platform through which he empowers people for optimum success in life. He has transformed numerous lives with his inspirational teachings in recruitment education, career improvement education, personal financial management, personal development, entrepreneurship, leadership, etc. He is a consultant of private and public organisations. He is a wildly traveled, and also a much sought after, speaker at seminars, workshops, conferences, etc of public and private organisations. He is happily married and lives with his wife and children in Lagos, Nigeria.
It is obvious that the end of a year and the beginning of a new one is a clear reflection of this philosophy. As a New Year begins, its end is a matter of time. As a year ends, the beginning of a new one is also a matter of time. In addition, the reality of the end of the New Year is also a matter of time. As a matter of fact, every old year was once a New Year, and every New Year will eventually become an old year (with time). Though a year passes by, the events and activities become part of history.
October, the ninth month of the year, marks the beginning of the last quarter of the year. Hence, it marks the beginning of the ending of the year. Every New Year is naturally ushered in with high hopes, optimisms and expectations. I am confident that you were not only very expectant, but also hopeful, of a better, brighter and more prosperous life for yourself at the beginning of this year. However, the big question is, "How many of your expectations at the beginning of this year have become realities?"
It is of absolute importance that you pause for a while and ask yourself this question of all questions. Otherwise, there may be no meaningful difference between where you are now, and where you will be by this time next year. It is very worrisome that after ushering a New Year with high hopes, optimisms and expectations; the euphoria and excitements of the New Year gradually fade away as the year grows old. Worse still, some expectations of the New Year become jettisoned and forfeited with time.
The truth of this claim may be obvious in your personal experiences and observations in the lives of most people around you. This, however, is not a way of saying that the expectations of everyone in every year are not achieved. The bitter truth is that only a very negligible percentage of humanity celebrate meaningful achievements and accomplishments at the end a year. For most others, the goals, ambitions and expectations of the year are either partially (or partly) achieved, or completely betrayed.
Another big question for you is, "Where do I belong?" Are you among those who have meaningful success to show for the year, or are you among those who achieve a part of their expectations for the year? Worse still, are you among those whose expectations for the year are completely defeated? It is very important that you take stock of your life in order to ascertain where you belong. This is an obligation you owe yourself because it is a precondition for having a good beginning in the next year.
One of the most significant observations I have made is that most adults do not know how to end a year, and how to start a New Year. Since the end of the year coincides with the celebration of Christmas, and the beginning of a year coincides with New Year celebration, it is a pity that most adults equate their preparations for these great celebrations with their preparations for the end of the year and the beginning of a New Year respectively. This is a common mistake that is fuelled by ignorance.
As a matter of fact, in the opinion of most adults, preparing for the end of the year is synonymous with preparing for Christmas; while preparing for the beginning of a year is synonymous with preparing for New Year celebration. To make the matter worse, many organisations, associations, unions, clubs, etc organise parties to mark the end of the year, as well as the beginning of a year. This is not a way of saying that there is something intrinsically wrong with any of these celebrations.
The point being argued, however, is that the preparations for these celebrations and the celebrations themselves have the inevitable consequence of shifting the focus of most people away from the vital, critical, ultimate, supreme, ideal and most valuable activity of the season - appraising your performance in the year. It is worthy of note that just as preparing for wedding is not the same with preparing for marriage; preparing for Christmas celebration is not the same as preparing for the end of a year.
In addition, preparing for New Year celebration is not the same with preparing for the beginning of the year. Just as preparing for wedding is preparing for a day event, while preparing for marriage is preparing for a life event; preparing for Christmas and/or New Year celebration is preparing for a day event, while preparing for the end of the year and/or the beginning of a New Year is preparing for life. This is an axiomatic every adult must come to terms with before he can enjoy a meaningful life.
If you were asked to review this year, what will you parade as your achievements in the year? Perhaps, most people will have no significant success to show for the year. It is a pity that the only success many people record at the end of every year is an additional year to their ages. However, wise people do not celebrate age. Rather, they celebrate the achievements that accompany their age. You were asked earlier, "How many of your expectations at the beginning of this year have become realities?"
If you are also asked why only a very negligible percentage of humanity celebrate meaningful achievements at the end of a year, what would be your answer? Why is it that most people have nothing meaningful to celebrate at the end of every year? Before you can answer these questions, you must answer another question, "How do people start a New Year?" But before you can answer this question correctly, you should also answer another one, "How did they end the previous year?"
How you end a year often determines how you start the year after it, and how you start a New Year often determines how you end the year. The reason most adults have no meaningful accomplishments to celebrate at the end of a year is that they made no meaningful preparations for the end of the previous years and the beginning of the year. Worse still, they do so year after year. It is a pity that out of ignorance, most adults are more committed to preparing for a day event, rather than for their dear lives.
Life is a school. While we matriculate into it at birth, we graduate from it at death. However, just as practiced in conventional schools, there are periodical examinations in the school of life. You will never be (qualified to be) promoted to the next level of life until you pass the examinations of the present level. However, unlike conventional schools, the questions for examinations in the school of life for every individual are best set by the individual himself, though someone else may guide him in doing so.
Furthermore, one of the best times to conduct the examination of the school of life is towards 'the end' or 'beginning of' a year. The best way to end a year is to examine how you faired in every aspect of your life in the year. Among the best standards for examining your success and accomplishments in a year are the goals you set at the beginning of the year. This is because, you measure your success in a year based on your goals, proposals, aspirations, ambitions, wishes, projections and plans for the year.
Hence, it will be difficult to ascertain your performance in a year towards its end, if you did not set any goal at its beginning. It is a pity that most adults start every New Year with high hopes, optimisms and expectations, but without any goals, proposals, aspirations, ambitions, wishes, projections and plans. This is why they cannot ascertain whether they are progressing or not at the end of the year. Life is like a business. You should know the financial status of your business at every point in time.
Realising your mistakes and failures in a year, especially after appraising your performance in the year towards its end, usually has the tendency of inspiring, motivating and challenging you to prepare to overcome them in the year after. The reason for this claim is that appraising the year is not an end in itself, but a means to an end. Your findings from your evaluation of your performance in a year determine the goals you set for the New Year, as well as the steps you take in the New Year.
This is one of the key benefits of appraising your performance towards the end of a year. Except you take stock of your life towards the end of the year and realise the areas you excelled and the areas you failed; you will not know the areas to improve on in your life. When this is annual success-inducing ritual is neglected repeatedly; success and the future are forfeited, even without any regret. This is one of the reasons most people remain static in the journey to success year after year, even as time flies.
Ending a year and/or starting a New Year without meaningful preparations has disastrous long-term, if not lifetime, consequences. You find yourself in the best position to set reasonable goals and make meaningful plans for a New Year after appraising a year that is about to end. You will do yourself a great favour this year if you will focus on preparing for the end of the year and the beginning of another year, rather than preparing for Christmas and New Year, respectively.
If you treat this message with the seriousness it deserves, it will position your feet on the fast lane to success. If you do not, you may continue to wonder why success continuously eludes you, despite your efforts to make it a reality in your life. Do not forget in a haste that the reason you should not treat issues about your life with levity is because you are the best beneficiary of your success, but the worst victim of your failure. Your destiny is safest in your hand. That is where you should keep it.
Eugene C. Onyibo is a motivational speaker, trainer, business coach, personal financial management expert, entrepreneur, philosopher and prolific writer. He is the Director of Skyheight Success Consult, the Organisation that provides the platform through which he empowers people for optimum success in life. He has transformed numerous lives with his inspirational teachings in recruitment education, career improvement education, personal financial management, personal development, entrepreneurship, leadership, etc. He is a consultant of private and public organisations. He is a wildly traveled, and also a much sought after, speaker at seminars, workshops, conferences, etc of public and private organisations. He is happily married and lives with his wife and children in Lagos, Nigeria.
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