Tony Yates

Future Self I am Proud of You

Tony Yates -

It is that time of year again where everyone makes promises to  themselves and others, about how they are going to be better at this or  that, how this year is different and like no other. I am no different  and try to have annual goals and things I strive to achieve.

There has been some great posts recently on the topic that I have  enjoyed reading, they both have thought about this much more than I  have, John O’Nolan wrote  one, as did Craig Burgess, both resonated with me, I am sure you will take something from them too.

I have very little more to add, I don’t know any better, I have no  pearls of wisdom, but I can share what I have learned about myself as I  enter 2014:

  • I have achieved more than I ever thought I could, my 21 year old self would be very proud of me;
  • My love for technology and how it improves peoples lives grows stronger ever year;
  • Having children has made me realise what the most important things  in the world are, family and friends and the time we spend together;
  • Living for yourself is not the way to go, living for others gives you a more meaningful life.

So my goals for this year  are to connect with people who are open to  connecting, to fulfil each day with enthusiasm and love, to learn and  to share, these aren’t really goals though they are about who I am and  how I will become stronger in these disciplines.

As for things I want to achieve this year, I have a list, it’s  relatively short and I am confident I will achieve them, they are  reference points that I am working to and it will make no real  difference if I hit them or not,  the journey is what matters to me not  the destination.

Also like Craig,  I have an insane addiction to technology, I can justify any gadget by  saying if I just had that then I could do xx. It’s all total crap of  course, don’t believe your own lies to yourself. I love technology, I  enjoy buying gadgets, I don’t want to stop, just like my wife loves  buying shoes and handbags, it makes her happy and therefore I am happy.

It is so easy to look back at the mistakes, the missed opportunities  and how things could be better if you would have just done that one  thing. It’s in the past, let it go.

So future self, I am the 35 year old you, and I am proud of you.