By Elpidio R. Estioko
Capricorn year 2020 (I labeled it as US President Donald Trump Year) is exiting while the Year of the Ox 2021 (I labeled it as President-Elect Joe Biden Year) is making its entrance in a very fashionable way!
We must put aside things that happened last year and face greater challenges in the new year, which is a great year to sharpen our skills and rekindle our talents. While 2020 was a challenging year as charted by Trump’s administration, 2021 is more challenging because Biden must undo what burdened us last year and do a better job that will make the new year viable and nourish new things that will make us prosperous and sustainable, both as a person and as a nation.
Looking forward, we believe in transformation because our big break is within reach and all it takes is hard work, determination, and a nurturing ambition. There is always hope for improvement in every new year we face.
This coming year, our desire to move forward will be stronger than ever and our attempt to fill out whatever deficit we had in the previous year should be effectively executed. Our determination and positive attitude will help us succeed. We will use our talents wisely to overcome obstacles we may encounter as we weather the challenges in the coming year.
As we approach the new year, US President Donald Trump finally realized, after so many pronouncements not to sign the bipartisan COVID relief bill, that millions of Americans will lose their EDD benefits, lose their jobs, and the economy will be paralyzed if he does not sign the bill into law. So, on Sunday night, he signed the bill that gave the country to continue to survive in times of the pandemic hoping to find a way for Americans to keep both ends meet.
Trump temporarily came into his senses after so many selfish moves he made in order to hold on to his position as president not conceding the election to president-elect former vice president Joe Biden.
His latest move, of course, is a palliative one as he continues to please his supporters and allies strengthening his hold on them. Exercising his prerogative of presidential pardon, he already pardoned a total of 43 convicted criminals who are either his cronies, allies, or party mates.
With 20 more days as a lame duck president by January 20, 2021, we do not know what he will still do to favor, not the American people, but to people close to him and himself. It is scary because whatever he thinks (working on his guts) he does because he is now managing the affairs of the country by instinct, which results are not benefiting the American people but to a few close to him. We must credit him though that under his administration, he had a victory lap by coming up with two vaccines (Moderna and Pfizer) that will address the corona virus.
We are hoping that the new year can be a great time to set intentions and look for ways to make positive changes. We just must remember to set realistic goals; things that are simple; and objectives that are reachable. Otherwise, we are doomed to fail in pursuing our New Year’s resolutions since general and unreasonable intentions are difficult to comply with.
The Trump year 2020 is leaving us as we welcome the Biden year 2021! It will be a difficult and challenging year, but we are hoping that we have more opportunities to come as the new year is about to roll and usher another year for us. I am optimistic the year 2021 will give us many positive challenges that propels us to make resolutions.
Biden has resolved to address the corona virus pandemic as his priority within his first 100 days in office. He outlined his national plan to combat the pandemic as if saying that it is his New Year’s resolution to really defeat the virus, among others.
As to us, citizens of America, we also have our resolutions to make as we welcome the New Year. We make our new year’s resolution promising to do an act of self-improvement, big or small! The tradition dates to religious origins, but the concept, regardless of origin, is geared towards reflecting upon self-improvement every year
While most New Year’s resolutions fail, despite this, we do it anyway! A study made in 2007, conducted by Richard Wiseman from the University of Bristol involving 3,000 people, showed that 88% of those who set New Year’s resolutions fail. Well, if that is the case, why is there still a need for a New Year’s resolution? With almost everybody breaking their promises immediately after making them, and after jumping when the clock strikes 12 midnight of December 31, 2020 during the countdown: do we still have to make resolutions?
In real life, yes! Most people make their New Year’s resolution because it is crucial to our life. If we make one, we set a goal that we aspire to attain. On the other hand, if we do not – there is no direction – at all, in our life!
While there are popular goals or resolutions people go for, to me, the most important, should be to keep the family together. If your family is one, united, and well-connected – maintain it by all means! If there is a lot of disconnections, dysfunctions, and misunderstandings – pick up the pieces and put them together.
So, with that, let us make and nourish this year’s resolution to greater heights. Make the family the center of our heart, the center of our life, the center of our existence. In fact, make it the center of everything we do in life without any mental reservation!
Check this out! In the same study, it showed that the most common reason for participants failing their New Year’s resolution was setting themselves unrealistic goals (35%), while 33% did not keep track of their progress and a further 23% forgot about it. About one in 10 respondents, the study further showed, claimed they made too many resolutions.
As to success rate, the study mentioned better chances of achieving one’s resolutions when we engage in goal setting (a system where small measurable goals are being set, such as, a pound a week, instead of saying “lose weight”); when we make our goals public and get support from our friends; and when we talk with a counselor about setting goals and New Year’s resolutions.
So, if only we can set up realistic goals, items that are attainable and easy to comply with… we may have a better success rate in accomplishing our resolutions!
But the reality is, with or without a New Year’s resolution, we can do many good things in our life. If we can set our New Year’s goals and can commit to these resolutions, our life will even be more meaningful… it will have a direction, there is a goal we can aim for and attain, as we live the New Year with a charted future!
So, we can start saying goodbye to Trump year 2020… and welcome Biden year 2021 and embrace the New Year with hope and added enthusiasm for a better tomorrow!
ELPIDIO R. ESTIOKO was a veteran journalist in the Philippines and an award-winning journalist in the US. For feedbacks, comments… please email the author @ [email protected]
