One of the 8%

Happy New Year friends!!  Welcome to 2016!!!

Undoubtedly, many of you have or are making resolutions.  I am too.  Even when I try not to, I still do in my head.  And that's ok. Yes, there are dire statistics out there that say roughly 8% of people achieve their resolutions; but, hey, it's not zero!!!  I think we, by nature, are recharged with a sense of renewal.  Why not embrace that?  At first I thought about the "resolutions" we make.  Some are lofty; some are general. But, most (if not all), help us strive to be a better, well, "us"!  The thing that is most important in "resolutions" or "goals" or just trying to better yourself in a world that constantly wants to drag you down is to remember that it's ok to fail as long as you get back up and try again.

Now, I know there are many of you - myself included - that roll your eyes or make a wonderfully witty comment about resolution'ers.  I get it.  Like I said, I've been one of those people on the sidelines (while still resolution'ing behind the scenes) who smirk when I hear or read about NY's resolutions.  But, in retrospect, there has been an effort and a desire to improve oneself.  Isn't it better to have tried and just fallen short of the goal than to not try at all?  Aren't you inherently better at a "just fallen short of" goal than staying stagnant at where you are?

Let me share with you a story that illustrates my point.  I love sharing this with my folks at work as it  illustrates the power of pushing others, including oneself to a higher level.  It's told by Viktor Frankl - a fascinating man who survived the Holocaust and became an acclaimed neurologist and psychiatrist.  While he and I might not share the same views on everything, I enjoy reading some of his perspective on life (it's on YouTube if you're inclined to watch).  Here's my paraphrasing of his story:

There is a term in aviation called "crabbing".  If a pilot sets out to fly straight to his destination (let's say point "B"), he will likely drift into a lower spot than intended due to crosswinds (point "C"); however, if a pilot sets his mark higher than the intended destination (let's call this point "A"), the crosswinds will push him to his desired spot (point "B"!). Frankl applies this to humanity and says that if we take man for who he is right now, we often times make him worse.  However, if we overestimate her (ourselves!), then we promote her to who she truly can be.

You and I might not be the 8% this year; but if we almost get there or kind of get there, we're 100% better than where we started and that is Fabulous!