It's that time of year again when coaches and others can't resist discussing plans and goals for the new year. Humans are programmed to dislike uncertainty and ambiguity, so despite knowing that much of our life is out of our control, we pretend it isn't. Almost no one saw Covid coming. Noone saw the war coming.
I started 2022 with some goals and plans. However, half my family is Ukrainian, and my wife was putting the finishing touches to our new apartment in Kyiv when the missiles started. We had plans to spend half the year there and half in the UK. Plans and goals immediately changed, and getting everyone as safe as possible and focusing on helping refugees arriving in the UK replaced almost all my other goals. So it goes. None of my original 2022 goals was achieved but that is the reality of life.
I love the expression, 'Have strong views but hold them lightly.' It means aiming to have clarity but being ready to revise them in the light of what you might learn from others. Be open to being wrong and changing your views accordingly.
I would extend this expression to goals. 'Have strong goals, but hold them lightly.' Circumstances and priorities change as real life often gets in the way. The important thing is to hold onto your values, but how these are expressed may well change as the world moves on, regardless. The photo is Kyiv from the Dniepr in happier times.
