Can you think of a time you told yourself you were going to definitely do something but never actually did? My guess is almost everyone can because everybody does this.
For example, think of your New Years Resolution. It's just over a month into the year now, and statistics show that by this time 36% of these resolutions have already failed, and much more than half will be failed by the end of the year. Why is this number so alarmingly high? Are Americans really that bad at sticking to what they say?
The reason is simply because people have the false idea that change or action will be easy in the future even though it isn't in the present, and therefore they don't make it a priority.
It's easy to say, "I will go on a diet next week, so I can eat this cake," or "I did bad last semester but I wasn't really trying as hard as I could have, so I'll start trying, and I'll doing much better," or even "I'm working too hard. I will take a vacation soon." However, unless you actually make it a priority to make the effort to carry out these plans, you will never get them done because if you can't start a diet now, or start working harder now, or find the time to take a break, you won't be able to in two weeks.
In the book we're reading in class, White Noise by Don DeLillo, the narrator in his stream of thoughts says that his wife "plans ski trips that we never take" (15), and then he quickly moves on to some other thought. After reading that, I wanted him to go back and answer why they never actually go on trips, but then I realized I knew the answer: their everyday life like work and children got in the way.
People are always allowing their everyday busy life to push aside their goals they set and fail to realize what's happening. Therefore, they continuously set new goals thinking that in the future they will magically be better than they are now, so they will be able to do them.
What is the best way to make sure the goals you set don't get forgotten?
I think the only way to make sure goals don't get forgotten is to embark upon them with a friend or group of people. When you try to do something alone, you only let yourself down when you give up. But when you try to do something and have people supporting you and trying as well, then it's a lot harder to give up.
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