2022: MATH IN A YEAR – Just another guide to achieving the most – Math And Me

With the new year’s arrival, coming a little sooner than most of us were ready for, we tend to see the “New Year, New Me” socials posts boosting and gyms worldwide getting so full they become super spreaders – which, isn’t always a bad thing (the desire to be better and grow, not the spread of COVID). I, myself, have been guilty of an early subscription to the latter, making sure 2022 is most definitely the year that my December summer body makes its long awaited (and overdue) arrival. I think the main issue with these new year’s resolutions is that they tend to not have the longevity we sometimes hope for, which, in itself, is also really okay. With the busyness of the year and the nature in which one’s life moves, it isn’t always easy to fit in that 5am run we promised we would take daily, or read those 10 pages of Rich Dad, Poor Dad we said we would after work each day.

I think we can all agree that, although our intentions may be correctly situated, without the proper motivation and drive to see it through, it’s a sad reality that these “resolutions” liken the family you only see once a year at weddings or funerals.

On a more optimistic note, when rightly motivated and with a certain level of self-discipline, striving to achieve the goals you set for yourself can truly be an incredible experience. I’m sure we’re all familiar with the satisfaction one receives from ticking off those boxes, inching closer and closer to achieving a task, eventually enjoying the contentment of completion. In saying this, I thought about what helps us “stay on track” and makes the hopes and dreams of a new year more achievable. In trying to stay on brand we arrive at the mnemonic MATH in a year:

M- Make time for the people/things you value
A- Act with intention and purpose
T- Try
H- Hold yourself accountable

The aim is that in its simplicity, you find the guide above helpful in taking on the 2022 year, and making it one of those years we all hope for – one of success & growth in all of its forms.

M – Make time for the people/things you value

Often easier said than done, this tends to be one of those things that makes the most sense but fails to excel in practice. Prioritising and being disciplined enough to stick to those priorities tends to be the downfall of most. Your time is one of, if not, the most valuable resources you have and most of us tend to spend it agreeing to plans we’d rather avoid and spending it with people we’d rather not see. I guess, for some of us, it stems to our natural drive to be well-liked and, in some cases, people please, but at the end of the day, the aim is to build a life YOU are happy living, doing the things that bring joy to YOUR life, and surrounding yourself with people who bring YOU peace. With this, I also encourage you all to never be limited by social support when it comes to doing certain things – if you feel the need to visit the beach or pop in to a coffee shop/movie and all of your friends are busy or don’t want to go, spend some time with yourself and continue to go and do those things – don’t allow the pressures of society’s social structure to stop you from doing things you enjoy.

A – Act with intention and purpose

If you’ve made it this far and take nothing else from my words today, take this. Something I’ve personally adopted in my efforts to achieve my goals for 2021, was evaluate with every decision whether it worked in favour of or towards the ultimate end goal. Often, we are subconsciously overwhelmed by the mammoth goals we set for ourselves, and fail to realise it is in the small everyday decisions we make towards achieving these great tasks that we end up going on to achieve them. Implementing a simple yield and asking yourself “Will this help me reach my goal” before making any decision you’d otherwise regard as mundane, could have some drastic positive effects on your life. If you don’t believe me, try it, and I promise you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the results. Thus, enter into things with the right intentions and always allow yourself to be guided by what you believe to be your true purpose.

T – Try

My personal belief is one should try everything once. Excluding the obvious like murder, stealing and other crimes, putting yourself out there and trying new things places you in the unique position to learn, experience and ultimately grow. Obviously, approach everything with the necessary caution, but stray from the overthinking culture we have developed as a society and do not let yourself be intimidated by the fear of the unknown and failure. In life as a school, failure serves as one of the best teachers and sometimes some of the best opportunities lie just outside the borders of our comfort zones. Again, it is always best to know your boundaries and approach all things in a healthy and positive way, but attempting new things allows one the opportunity to explore those boundaries as well, and who knows, you might just surprise yourself with what you’re truly able to achieve.

H – Hold yourself accountable

It’s all fun and games until it comes down to this. For some reason, we all tend to enjoy the ease with which we are able to hold others accountable for their words and deeds but fail to enjoy that same reciprocity with ourselves. As important as goal setting and visioning is, equally important is holding yourself accountable for your self promises. I’m not saying do not be patient and forgiving with yourself, as life is a journey with us all moving at our own pace, but ensuring we don’t become too comfortable with excuses, procrastination and denial, the true enemies of success, is incredibly important and ensuring you continue to hold yourself to the highest standard, accounting for your actions, will keep you walking the correct path. This is true for your relationships, career, academics, health etc. and ensuring you are always giving of your best self will guarantee life reciprocates in kind.

A healthy balance is truly what I wish for you all for the year that lies ahead. May all the challenges furnish lessons, all the blessings come in abundance and all of the goals be achieved. Set out to make it a year of true meaning and it definitely will.