Making resolutions, especially for a new year, is refreshing—the satisfying turn of the page, the personal drafting and public proclamation of new ambitions, and the promises to do whatever is required to achieve them. Goal-setting, of all kinds, is an essential step towards achieving any success, however great, no matter how small.
Quite quickly—sooner than most would like—resolutions demand change. An alarm bell rings in the cold, pitch dark of night because you said you would commence your first early morning training session today. The tasty treats vanish from the fridge. Enticing but unrewarding digital distractions are kept to the barest minimum in favour of healthier analogue activities. And, in order to prioritise rest, daily timetables are arranged in such a way as to avoid any commitments that go on too late in the evening. These changes are neither easy nor pleasant. Committing to them feels like taking a daily dose of the bitterest medicine, it never goes down easy. Nor should it.
Anyone who has ever set any kind of target for themselves knows that resolutions and resolve are two different things; the former does not necessarily come with the latter, but the latter is essential for the achievement of the former—unyielding strength of character, commitment, and discipline, are compulsory requirements for goal-chasing, especially after the “magic of fresh starts” begins to fade.
After the initial rush of new beginnings comes the challenge and monotony of routine—and its natural solution: true grit—a bite-the-bullet, show-up-show-out, no-quit mentality that outlasts both struggle and success. Without it, it is impossible to weather the plateaus that lie within the pursuit of any project and the disappointments that lurk within any exerted effort.
So, regardless of the goal—getting stronger, improving one’s stamina, a new career opportunity, or healthy habit formation—there are few things more important to put in one’s daily kit bag than good old-fashioned elbow grease, grit, and sweat.
Rémy Ngamije is an award-winning Rwandan-born Namibian author, editor, publisher, photographer, literary educator, and entrepreneur. He is the founder of The Forge.