Timothy Akolamazima
As the year begins, we all usually start off strong and in good spirits. 1st January comes with New Year resolutions a good way to begin the year focused.
However, as the months go by, there’s a tendency to forget that we even set those resolutions.
By May, most of us are already on autopilot. By the time the national budget is read in July, some of us can’t even remember what we had written down at the start of the year.
Over the years, I have set resolutions, but 2021 stands out. That was the year I achieved 101%. I ticked off everything on my list, and God even blessed me beyond what I had planned for.
That year began during a partial lockdown. For many, it was a discouraging season and rightly so. But for me as a photographer, it became an opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and intentionally pursue what I had set out to achieve.
One of my resolutions was to win the UPPA Young Photographer Award. I reached out to a hospital and decided to document how frontline health workers were adapting to the new normal during the pandemic. When the open call came around in July 2021, I was ready. I pitched my project and left the rest to God.
In October 2021, the announcements were made and I had won.Yes, it shocked me. But the truth is, I had intentionally worked towards it.
In everything we do, the year begins with setting intentions. Some people don’t like the word “resolutions” — you can call them goals. But just like football, a match without goals loses meaning.
Imagine watching the AFCON finals — Morocco vs Senegal — but the players have no goals to score into. Your life is a football match that lasts 365 days, and your goals help you stay focused.
Writing them down is the first step which most of us do and then forget. What matters next is building systems to achieve them. Below is my system; feel free to pick a leaf, a branch, or even the whole tree
First, I put my goals before God and pray about them. I also get an accountability partner — someone I can freely open up to.
Then I apply the SMART principle. My goals must be:
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Achievable
R – Realistic
T – Time-bound
On the 30th of every month, I review my goals and refine my strategies. I break big goals into action points. For example, if you want to save 1,200,000 UGX in a year, that’s 100,000 UGX per month, or 25,000 UGX per week.
I hope this shared experience helps you start strong, stay strong through the middle of the year, and finish strong.
My theme verse is Philippians 4:13 —
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Let’s share tips and ideas in the comments.
What strategies are you using to achieve your goals this year?
#GoalSetting #NewYearGoals #PersonalGrowth #FaithAndWork
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Written by
Award-Winning Documentary Photographer YPA 2021, WLE 2022, WLM 2022, UPPA 2025 Telling Stories in my community | Wikimedian | Tennis Coach | Demographer
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