I Found My 2016 New Year Resolutions and This Is What I Learned
I stumbled upon this gem while flipping through an old notebook, a really old one from back in 2016. It was filled with my New Year resolutions—seven of them!
Yes, seven ambitious goals for a single year.
Now, let’s be honest. Do you think that right after I penned those SEVEN resolutions, I miraculously started paying bills on time, avoiding the chase of debt collectors? Did I suddenly get better at managing my finances, saving money, or paying off my student loans? And what about my plans to study Spanish every night, learn new pieces on the piano, read a book each month, or launch a photography website (a passion of mine, by the way)? Oh, and I was also an associate at a demanding advisory firm, working long hours and traveling a lot.
The answer? No, I didn’t manage to achieve all those things—not in 2016, nor in 2017, or even the year after.
Why? Simply put, I had seven resolutions. Every time I looked at that overwhelming list, I found myself wanting to do none of them.
Did I eventually learn to pay my bills on time? Absolutely—I developed a system of reminders and automatic transfers. Did I pay off my student loans? Yes, but only about two years ago. Did I start saving? Indeed, I even began investing in the stock market a few years back for better returns. And yes, I learned new pieces on the piano and also improved my Spanish due to work travels in Latin America. I even found time to create my photography portfolio (you can check it out here, though it hasn’t been updated in years).
However, achieving these goals took years, and I still wouldn't consider myself a master in any of these areas.
As a young professional, it seemed possible to climb mountains and juggle a thousand things simultaneously. However, as I've grown older—and hopefully wiser—my list of New Year resolutions has gotten shorter. Not because I aspire to achieve less or learn less, but because I now understand the importance of focusing on one thing at a time in order to become really good at it.
So, what's the lesson here?
Keep setting your New Year resolutions, but be tactical. Choose one or two priorities at a time. This focused energy not only speeds up success but also deepens your expertise, transforming you from being average in many areas to exceptional in a few.
Remember, where focus goes, energy flows and mastery grows. Make it count.
