Character is the ability to carry out a good resolution long after the excitement of the moment has passed. —Cavett Robert
I love New Years, especially at the gym. It’s like rush hour after work. Everyone is fighting for an open spot on… well, pretty much everything. Several months, (or years) of bad decisions are all going to disappear in the month of January because it’s time to get in shape. (There’s a similar rush right before summer swimsuit season, but that one isn’t nearly as bad.)
These wonderful gym-goers should be applauded for their new found and short lived, dedication to a healthy lifestyle. The regulars however shrug off all this excess foot traffic and consider this time of year one of those funny anomalies where enthusiasm is everywhere and dedication is hard to find.
Like with trading, investing, skiing, rock climbing, or pretty much any skill worth having, sure the foundation starts with a single brick, but the building is built over a long period of time. We hear of the occasional guy who got rich on Bitcoin because someone paid him in some when the thing was at $5.00 (A few weeks ago, someone told me he knew someone who had $200k of these things under these exact same circumstances. He didn’t take my advice to cash out at the top, because, well… Everyone knows they’re going to infinity and beyond.)
You can cheat the odds every now and then. This supplement or that might help you lose some water weight, or the next Google might make you rich, or maybe you can make a ton of money by flipping one house and retire to a private island, or maybe you…. Well, whatever. The point is, everyone knows this is the time of year to set well placed goals for our future prosperity. The problem is, like the neophyte gym rat, life and the reality of the journey often get in the way.
So, best of luck on your quest to 100 pips a day, or dropping 5 pounds a week, or making $250K on a house. But remember, the turtle is the one who actually wins when all the dust has settled. If you want to retire rich, or get in shape, or run a marathon (I’m not a fan of cardio by the way), you can absolutely do it. And this may be a great time of year to evaluate where you are and set new goals for your future prosperity. The reality is, the reason this is a great day to make plans is because, well, it’s today. Hopefully January 1 gives some people that extra push necessary to reach their goal. But, real goals don’t end on a certain date. Real things worth working for are lifelong endeavors.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m headed off to the weight room. I have some curling in the squat rack to do. I think if I play my cards right, I should be able to get down to my pre Thanksgiving weight by about May 2015. (Give or take).
