Let’s Make 2024 a Year of Action and Completion

Here is a wise saying I once heard that I often repeat: “A prayer is 10 times more valuable than a wish, a plan is 10 times more valuable than a prayer, and taking action is 10 times more valuable than a plan.” I have found the saying to be very true and useful in my life, allowing me to complete projects that at one time I might’ve thought impossible. Really, the last part is where most people get stuck—taking action.

Often, this is the part we procrastinate about because it is the part that involves risk and the consumption of time and energy. But absolutely nothing of value can be done without action. So, when you make your resolutions for this coming year, don’t just stop with a list of resolutions. Make a realistic plan for how your goals can be achieved, and then commit to acting step by step in the direction of their completion.

Here are my suggestions for creating a vision for 2024 that will become reality:

1. 1) Write down a tangible, realistic plan. Yes, action is more important than planning, but planning is important, too. When creating your plan, be as specific and detailed as possible. Write down every step of the process of creating whatever it is you want to create. How long do you need? What are the milemarkers and goalposts along the way? Be realistic and write down your schedule for completion in a journal or notebook where you can keep track of your progress.


2. 2) Break everything down into its smallest steps. A long journey can only be completed one step at a time, and the same is true for any goal. People become stuck because they do not know how to get past certain obstacles on the way. Breaking the goal down into easy-to-complete steps makes the whole process more manageable and less daunting.


3. 3) If possible, take action toward your goal every single day. Some days, this may mean the completion of something important and difficult, but other times, this will mean doing small things that support your goal. For example, perhaps you have a goal to improve your fitness enough to run a 5K race. Of course, many days will be spent running, stretching, and doing other exercises that strengthen your body. But there may be some days when you do not have time to do your full workout or you simply need to rest. Even on those days, find something to do that supports your goal, such as spending five minutes reading a training manual or researching optimal nutrition for renters. The critical point here is to keep your mind focused on your goal every single day and take real, tangible action daily.


4. 4) Talk about your goal with other people. Unfortunately, sometimes, when we set a goal, it’s easy to break our promises to ourselves. When we set resolutions each year and then break them, we become accustomed to disappointing ourselves, and we have no way of holding ourselves accountable to ourselves. If we say our intentions out loud to other people, however, this increases our sense of responsibility for completing the goal. Even better, find an “accountability partner,” someone who is also trying to accomplish goals, and meet occasionally to encourage and support each other.


5. 5) Prepare for obstacles and make contingency plans. One important reason why people fail to complete goals is that difficulties always arise. Nothing ever happens as quickly and as automatically as we would like. We would all love to be promoted quickly and easily to the top of our careers, and we would love for the pounds to fall immediately off our bodies whenever we try to lose weight. But this is never how it is. I believe this is a good thing since facing and overcoming obstacles is how we grow as people. So, when acting toward your plan, ask yourself what you will do if things don’t turn out how you hoped initially. If you interview for a job but don’t get it, what will you do next? How will you keep going if the scale is not budging even though you are dieting diligently? How will you keep going toward your goal when you feel tired or discouraged? The most important actions you will ever take are those you take at these moments.


6. 6) Practice visualization. All action begins with a thought in your mind. Thus, it is essential to set aside time to visualize the completion of your goal. This will help you conceive of what must be done next, and it will encourage you to keep going toward your goal when things get difficult. When you do this visualization, focus your mind on imagining your success in every step of the process, not just the final goal. In your mind’s eye, see yourself accomplishing everything you need to do and feel the joy and confidence these accomplishments bring you. I recommend combining this with meditation practice so that your intention becomes deeply embedded in your mind and your imagination.


7. 7) Recognize the higher value of your accomplishment. On the surface, many of our goals are motivated by shallow rewards—more money, status, comfort, etc. But if you dig deeper into what you truly want in life, you will see greater value at the core of most of your most important goals. To help yourself keep going through the process, think about how completing the goal will improve your personal character and contribute something of lasting value to the world.

In my view of life, there is only one real goal in our lives—the completion of our souls. But all these other goals that we set are part of our human lives and part of the process of growing our true selves. So, in 2024, please take your resolutions for the new year seriously, committing yourself to making them a reality in your life. Doing so is about much more than just losing a few pounds and getting a little bit richer. Ultimately, your goals are about becoming the person you were meant to become and revealing your bright shining soul more completely to the world.