With a new year and a new decade beginning, it’s a good idea to evaluate goals and take stock of your progress. This is true with college planning and life in general. The easiest thing in the world is to say you’re going to do something. This is especially found when we suggest we’ll ‘do it tomorrow’. When we do that, we basically offset our need to complete a task or to even think about it, because having to do said task or start off from zero can seem stressful and worrying.

But the truth is that while the rumination is a bottomless pit, so is the satisfaction that comes from actually taking care of the tasks you plan for yourself. In fact, the art of staying on top of things and realizing your dreams, such as 2020 new year resolutions for example, is a satisfying journey without end. Once you complete something you gain that true sense of satisfaction, and you feel even more motivated to achieve something anew. The more you do this, the more the philosophy of ‘I will act now’ becomes a harmonious chorus in your mind rather than a grating shout.

With that in mind, we hope the following advice can help you curate this potential within yourself:

Find Something You Can Orient Yourself Towards

Like any vehicle, you’ll struggle to leave the driveway if you’re empty on fuel. The fuel that we’re talking about here doesn’t come in the form of a meal or an obligation, but in something you willingly submit yourself to, something you perceive as worth your time. Perhaps you know that losing weight is necessary if you’re to reduce the risk of health issues now you’re in your 30s. Maybe this can help you learn how to best run a Couch 2 5k or how to get over your fear of the gym. Nietzsche once said ‘he who has a why to live for can bear any how.’ Through this pursuit, you’ll be making good on that concept.

Take On A Challenge

Why not take on a challenge, or something that you may not otherwise have done? Maybe this could be as simple as taking a second language night course, or going up for a five-minute open mic comedy session at a local bar. Whatever makes you quake in your boots yet helps you realize a dream is often a good way forward. You’d be surprised just how much this can actualize your life and make every day feel important. Sometimes, you have to dive in the deep end to get things moving.

Plan Your Progress

Plan your progress going forward. Breaking down your goals for 2020 and noting them, step by step in Midori planners can help you correspond action to days. This in itself can give you a vital step up over your previous efforts, because when your plans are staring at you in black and white, it’s hard to refute you ever made them when struggling to get out of bed. Planning your progress can also help you see how far you’ve come – and that is not something to take for granted.

With this advice, you’re sure to apply the artful practice of making things happen in life.