2023: Let’s Make it the Year of the GOAT

Written by Edson O’Neale

Happy New Year everyone, 2022 is over and we are officially in 2023.  I hope 2022 was a good year but it is in the past now.  We are now in 2023 and it is full speed ahead as we are already in the second month of the year.  Now as we are in the New Year, you are probably making a New Year’s resolution.  Why do we make New Year’s resolutions?  Is it a way for us to set new goals? To push us to do something different? Something new? To motivate yourself?  If that’s the case why do we need to make a New Year resolution for that? I just read an article online through Insideout Mastery and it gave statistics on New Year’s Resolutions.  According to that article, 23% of individuals who make New Year’s Resolution quit in the first week, and 36% only make it past first the month. They also reported that only 9% successfully keep their resolution.  I do not know about you but those numbers do not motivate me to make a New Year’s resolution.

Now I am not saying or telling anybody not to make a New Year’s resolution, but if you do, what are you going to do to hold yourself accountable? What are you going to do to assure yourself that you follow through with your New Year’s resolution?  In 2023 let’s try something different. Instead of New Year’s Resolution, let just try to be the GOAT (Greatest of All Time).  You might be saying why I am saying to be the GOAT? Well, if you are into sports (in the year 2023), one of the most famous athletes of all time wore the number 23 and his name is Michael Jordan.  Michael Jordan was different and he had a killer instinct to be the best.  He was confident (some will say cocky), hungry, and he was willing to do whatever it took to be the best. To be the best he took chances and risk and some of those chances did not work out and he failed.  What I admire about Jordan is one of his greatest quotes: “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

Now I understand there can be things in the world that can distract you from being great.  Several organizations and companies are laying off people, the economy is not great and prices everywhere keep going up, we still have mass shootings taking place, and individuals getting physically abused at a traffic stop.  These situations can deter anyone from living their lives.  You might wonder if you can continue to afford to live. You might have the feeling that you should settle because you do not want to be laid off of your job so you start to believe you are not valued, or you are afraid to go somewhere because you wonder if this be your last day. These are actual feelings, and trust me I feel and think about these things sometimes. You have every right to share and have these feelings but I have a friend that always lives his life to the fullest no matter what.  He always says YOLO!!! So in 2023 we should all say YOLO and live our best lives.  Now I am not saying go and do something crazy or illegal, but try something new, take risk, take chances, do something you have never done before, realize your value and take on opportunities that you know that are destined for.

With that being said, shouldn’t we all strive to be the GOAT, shouldn’t we strive to be better, help make others better, or even make the world better. Let’s strive for that, let’s be great, push yourself, make sacrifices, do not give up, push yourself.  Be different, believe in yourself, do not let other dictate your happiness. Jordan dictated his life, why can’t you? Even if you do not think that Michael Jordan is the GOAT and you think Lebron James is the GOAT, that’s fine but remember Lebron wore number 23 as well and why did he wear the number? Because of Michael Jordan. And even if you are not a sports fan just go out and be great. Make 2023 yours and do not let anyone or especially yourself stop you from achieving your dreams and goals.  In the words of Tom Brady, “LET’S F#$%ING GO!

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