Enjoy the ride, the end might suck.

So, making new year resolutions is fun, isn’t it? Thinking about the upcoming year and what it could hold for you. How great and exciting it could become. How much more you are going to become the person you want to be. All the small and big changes you want to make to improve your life. And with all these thoughts and plans you can start all optimistic and excited and powerful into the new year. Yeah you, yeah new year!

So that was Sylvester. Feels like months ago, doesn’t it? But it has only been ten days. Ten days since we started into this new part of our life. Ten days since everything was about to change for the better. Ten days since we were sure that this time it finally would happen. All our resolutions will become real. All of our dreams and goals will be reached. Everything will be fantastic.

And how far did you come this year? How many of your resolutions are still in place? Or did you stop exercising at January 3 because the weather wasn’t nice enough? Or did you start smoking again at January 7 because your job is just too stressful? Or all the other excuses you find for not sticking to your plan? For not being able to reach your goal? Name it and someone else already used this excuse. It’s not you alone; it’s all of us.

But why? Why can’t we stick to our plan and reach our goals?

Recently I found a reason for myself. And maybe you can relate to it. Since some time I on and off was trying to lose some weight. Who doesn’t? Not much, just 2 or 3 kilos would have been enough. But guess what? It never happened. And why? Because I never actually tried. Yes, there was a goal, but the action to reach the target wasn’t taken. Yes, I started sometimes, but this never lasted long.

But in October last year, I made an interesting discovery. Once I found the right way to do it, it worked. Without any trouble, I managed to lose weight. More than I anticipated but it was just the right amount. And I’m still on the same level. And this made me realise something. If you want to reach your goals, you have to enjoy the way there.

Why? Because otherwise it sucks and you have no reason to stick to your plan.

Yes, sometimes it is hard work to reach your goal. And it isn’t always easy and sunshine and butterflies. But you still can enjoy it. You still can make the best out of it. Why? Because it is your decision. It is your decision how you do it and what you think of it. It is your decision how you feel and what you take away from this experience.

It’s never about the goal itself and it never should be. It’s always about the way to get there, the things you do, create, feel, enjoy along the way.

Your goals may change, the outcome might not be as great as anticipated, in the end, it might even suck to reach this goal. But still, no matter the outcome, you enjoyed the way, you learned something, you had a blast. And that’s what it is all about. Enjoy every moment, don’t wait for the end, for the unforeseeable future that might or might not hold what you expect. Because that’s what it means to live. And maybe even to live a good life.