Choose your entry into 2024
THE bittersweet moment is here as we celebrate the end of 2023.
It was a mixed bag for many, as they came across both good and bad moments. Many are still going through different experiences.
Some are excited about the coming year but others would prefer to remain in 2023.
Sadly, no one can turn back the hands of time.
The best approach is to get ready to face 2024, which is coming in a few hours.
If you end 2023 on a bad note, you may start 2024 on a bad note as well.
Inasmuch as change sounds complicated, it is very easy because it starts within you.
All you need is a different mindset and attitude that tells you that it is possible to change the trajectory of your life.
Choose to end this year with hope and fresh energy for the coming year. Life just happens sometimes. No one chooses the family they are born in. I grew up in the rural areas, in a relatively underprivileged setup.
At some point, I did not have control of my life.
One thing I knew, though, from a tender age, was that I did not want to remain where I was.
I just hoped that each year was going to change the story of my life.
I kept waiting until I got very disappointed and depressed.
It is like every year was a repeat of the previous one.
At some point, I wished I was born in a different environment and circumstances.
At another point, I wished to remain young so that my parents would continue taking care of my needs.
Sadly, it remained a wish.
Your life is what you make it
The statement “Your life is what you make it” sounds very unreasonable and inconsiderate sometimes.
I used to get angry whenever I heard anyone uttering the statement, especially prominent people.
I first realised the power of the statement when I was in Grade Seven, in the rural areas.
We were told we needed to pass with certain grades to qualify for secondary education at reputable schools. The onus was on the learners to work hard to pass. Because I did not want to remain where I was, I worked very hard and passed with good grades.
Since then, I discovered that, inasmuch as I do not control what happens to me, sometimes I do control what I become.
I believe the same applies to everyone.
We do not always control circumstances we find ourselves in, but we can control what we become.
Take time to reflect on how 2023 was in order to prepare accordingly for the coming year.
Try to appreciate and understand both the difficult and joyous times you encountered.
If you close off this year in confusion, you are most likely to start another year in confusion.
The way you exit this year is probably the way you enter 2024, if you are not deliberate about it.
Remember, next year is less than 24 hours away.
You need to quickly clear the path for 2024, if you had not done so already.
Organisational status
One of the challenges in many organisations is that of having teams that expect change without working for it.
With the coming of the new year, some expect higher salaries and benefits but without improving their performance.
On the other hand, there may be management that expects better performances without improving current systems, structures or processes.
Economic conditions might be difficult, but we need to be intentional to bring about the desired change.
General facts
As you come to the end of one road, another one begins.
If you consider every exit as an entrance to somewhere, you will be intentional in preparing for the new beginnings.
One time, I got engaged by a certain organisation to carry out an employee satisfaction survey.
A significant number of employees managed to tell me, in fine detail, what they were not happy with, but when I asked them what would make them happy, they failed to give definitive responses. You have to know what you want to achieve in 2024 and then plan on how to attain it.
If you exit 2023 without a plan, you are bound to start 2024 without a plan, and before you realise it, a month or quarter will be gone and wasted.
Be inspired to have a clear plan for 2024. Happy new year and have a prosperous 2024.