The New Year is here. A fresh start. A blank page.
For many, this is the time for setting goals and planning.
And yes, of course, planning is important. Because, with a clear plan, you increase your odds of achieving your goals significantly.
But I have some important questions for you: Are the goals you’re chasing after the ones you really want? Are they the ones that make your heart sing?
In our success-driven hustle culture, we’re all surrounded by the call for more. Bigger. Better. Faster. 10xing everything.
And before you know it, you’ve lost your way.
“People may spend their whole lives climbing the ladder of success only to find, once they reach the top, that the ladder is leaning against the wrong wall,” Trappist monk and author Thomas Merton once said.
It’s a haunting image. A life full of effort and achievement. Only to realize it wasn’t your wall. It was someone else’s goal; someone else’s dream.
The world loves success stories.
But real success starts with this question: How do I want my life to be?
Not just your work life. Or your financial life. But your life.
This question shifts everything. It invites reflection. Alignment. Purpose.
So my invitation to you as we move into the New Year is this: Pause. Take a breath. Ask yourself:
- What truly matters to me?
- Who do I want to be?
- How do I want my days to feel?
This isn’t about rejecting ambition. It’s about clarity.
Goals are only worth pursuing if they lead to a life that feels whole.
Maybe this year isn’t about doing more.
Maybe it’s about doing what matters.
Take the time to choose your wall. Lean your ladder against something that feels solid. Something that aligns with your heart and soul.
Because a meaningful life isn’t about how high you climb.
It’s about where you’re climbing to.
This year, start with the right question. Build from there.
And may you find joy, peace, and purpose in every step.
May it be so.
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If you’d like help with your ladder, email me: walt@summit-success.com
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