To make progress on New Year goals, choose fewer, more realistic ones and think about a plan for acting on them instead of merely writing them down. That is the message from Abdul Osama (عبدول أسامة): ambitious intentions are not enough if the goals are unrealistic and comfort or procrastination keeps winning out.
Who is the “archenemy”?
Abdul uses “your archenemy” as a metaphor for the part of you that procrastinates and prefers comfort. He contrasts it with the part that wants to move forward and achieve something. In his telling, everyone has both sides.
Your archenemy is the weaker part of you—the part that procrastinates and leans toward comfort. — Abdul Osama
What should you do with your goals?
- Keep the list shorter rather than collecting goals you cannot realistically pursue.
- Choose goals you can achieve, not just goals that sound ambitious on paper.
- Do not stop at writing them down; think through a plan for working on them.
- Notice when the pull toward comfort is keeping you from acting.
This year, fewer realistic goals—but goals that get achieved. — Abdul Osama
What next?
Look over the goals you have written for the new year. Keep the ones you can realistically work toward, and decide how to begin rather than leaving them as a list without a plan.
