New Year, Same Me (with New Goals)
Published: 2021-01-01 23:38:53

Well, it's January 1st once again, and you know what that means: New Year's resolutions are in full swing. People hit the gym, promise to follow their new monthly budgets, and generally look at the yearly reset as a time for personal betterment. But while the future looks bright and people are motivated, we also know that the excitement is short-lived for many. In fact, a quick Google search produced an article from [Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathycaprino/2019/12/21/the-top-3-reasons-new-years-resolutions-fail-and-how-yours-can-succeed/?sh=1bfcab306992) that found nearly 80% of people's resolutions ultimately end in failure. Numbers like that make you wonder if all this talk of self-improvement is more of a fantasy than an attainable reality.

You may also be wondering why I've decided to open an article talking about New Year's goals on such a depressing note. The reason why is simple: you have to be real about the process. I too am guilty when it comes to creating a list of resolutions only to find myself back in old habits less than a month later. The ultimate problem I have faced, along with countless others, is losing motivation somewhere partway through the process. It has only been through many failed attempts in establishing goals, as well as through reading and listening to other people like [Chou Codes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukwKqYRgYYE), that I came to the realization that motivation only gets you so far.

Take exercise as an example, one of the most common New Year's resolutions. It starts with you feeling or looking out of shape (a common occurrence around the holidays) and realizing that you probably need to make some healthy changes. So you do some research, watch a few YouTube videos, and listen to motivational speakers yell about what it means to be a winner. After absorbing all this content and getting pumped up, you feel like you could hit the gym for 2 hours every day, and so you do! But after a few days or weeks go by, another feeling begins to set in: I'm doing a lot of work, feeling exhausted all the time, and not seeing the results I want. Before you know it, your time at the gym steadily decreases while you start spending more time doing the same unhealthy things you were doing before.

This is just a general example, but I'm sure you can point to a time in your life when you experienced a similar loss of motivation. The excitement of making a lifestyle change just doesn't last forever for a majority of people, and it's the reason why so many always ask the question of "how do I get motivated again"? I'm going to argue that discipline, not motivation, is the best long term strategy for reaching any sort of long term goal you have. This isn't to say there's no place for motivation, most personal journeys start with at least a spark of motivation. The important thing is to balance this excitement with a realistic outlook on how you hope to achieve your goal, hence discipline.

## How Will I Stay Disciplined in the New Year?

Okay, so it probably feels like I've been talking the talk up to this point. It's definitely easier to say or write what improvements you need to make in your life than it is to actually make a change. I remember when I first started my coding journey at Flatiron School that I had grand ambitions of when I wanted to complete my work, and before I knew it I was months past my targeted end goal. I was programming like crazy in the beginning, spending 5-6 hours a day knocking out lessons and finishing labs, reaching and completing my first project within a couple of months. But hitting that early highpoint faded pretty quickly as more challenging work followed, and lacking a structured schedule took a toll on my ability to maintain the same pace. I found myself taking more days off from coding during this period than I had before, slowing my overall progress.

Having better discipline and habits would've gone a long way in helping me reach my goal of graduation sooner, and leading up to this new year I've already put considerable time and energy into making sure I can find success for my goals. My strategy is as follows:

### 1. Set a Schedule

This seems pretty straightforward and basic, but the craziness of life and especially the beast that was 2020 definitely create obstacles that make things difficult. While it may not be 100% foolproof, having a plan or schedule for how you will spend your day and week is crucial to keeping you on the path that brings you closer to your goals. For example, since my time at Flatiron School is almost at an end, I will need to have a plan for job searching once I've graduated. Thankfully, I've already taken the time to create a job search schedule for myself that consists of carving out 1-2 hours of time each day for various activities that improve my chances of finding a job. If something comes up and I can't meet my goal for a certain day, I simply shift my schedule and accomplish the day's original goal the next day.

### 2. Plan Small and Work Your Way Up

One of the best ways to build discipline is by establishing daily habits. These habits don't require a whole lot of motivation but do demand you set aside the time to complete them. If you've planned your schedule correctly these habits will be on it. For me, I am making a daily habit of completing at least one AlgoExpert coding challenge to help keep my problem-solving skills sharp. One challenge a day might not seem like much, but it allows me to gauge what I am able to handle going forward; this way I don't make the mistake of overwhelming myself with too many tasks. I instead give myself the opportunity to gradually increase my workload in tandem with my confidence and ability.

### 3. Practice Accountability

It always feels easier to get things done when other people have your back. That's why I made the decision to hold a weekly FaceTime session with my good friend from home to keep up with our weekly tasks. While my friend doesn't program himself, having the opportunity to share where we are at in our work allows up to encourage each other and follow up to see if we are staying on schedule. This part can be a little intimidating, especially if you don't have many close friends you would feel comfortable sharing your struggles and challenges. But even if it's just a family member or a classmate, have someone in the loop on what you are doing and that can be a positive source for you moving forward. 

### 4. Plan to Balance Work and Life

The biggest mistake I made when starting my Flatiron lessons was thinking I'd have plenty of time to code while still being able to spend an equal amount of time with my son. Yep, I found out quickly that focusing too much on work left me drained and discouraged, especially when I would come home from working a 9 hour day only to code for the next 4-5 hours. This point of balancing your life and your work could fall under the schedule section, but I wanted to give it a spot of its own since I think it's a point people forget too often when pursuing any sort of goal. I have intentionally given myself plenty of time on my schedule to spend with my family for the purpose of bonding and growing closer together. You are allowed to have a life outside of your work, and you shouldn't think that happiness will only come from reaching your goals! Be smart, set that time aside for yourself and others.

## This is Just a Start

While I have a student blog over on GitHub, one of my smaller goals was branching out and starting a post-graduation blog on a separate site. And that's just what this first article is: one small step moving towards my ultimate goal of finding a job in software and tech. It's going to be a long journey, certainly with many ups and downs, but I'm hoping this blog can be just one example of discipline I develop not just for my professional career but for my personal life as well. If you're interested in seeing how this personal journey turns out, stick with me these coming weeks as I look to build towards my goals with small bits of discipline. I hope at the very least you can be encouraged in reading this to know that **you can** make intentional changes that result in continual personal progress.