I wish I was better.
A better dad. A better husband. Better at praying and seeking God. A better worker, eater, reader, friend. Better helping around the house and sticking to our family budget. Better at listening and empathizing. Better at keeping my word.
I want to be a better version of myself. I think we all do, whether we admit it or not. It’s part of what makes us human.
But where does this feeling come from?
I think we know, deep down, that we’re capable of a little bit more. That we’re not leaving it all on the court, so to speak. That what we have to show for ourselves at the end of each day doesn’t tell the whole story about the passions and ambitions inside of us.
The problem is, we lack those last drops of self-discipline—that evasive “last-mile” effort needed to make any real progress. We start exercising, but give up. We eat better, but only for a few days. We reach out to friends, but quit when things get complicated.
That’s me. I’m notoriously bad at goals and New Year’s Resolutions. I didn’t make any in 2018 because I knew I’d fail.
But I’m done with that. I’m capable of so much more than my 2018. So this year, I’m starting from ground zero. I’m making 2019 about the fundamentals, because I’m still bad at those.
I have three goals for Q1 2019. Come April, I’ll evaluate my progress and decide what to do for Q2.
- Jog for 30 minutes every weekday.
- Read one book per month.
- Get lunch with a friend once per week.
This post is my way of keeping myself accountable. I also want to challenge others to do this with me—DM me on Twitter if you’re interested.