29 Sept 2025
The speaker shares personal struggles with unfulfilled New Year's resolutions and the resulting damage to self-esteem, especially as triggered by the Eid (New Year) period. A new approach is proposed, emphasizing immediate action on small goals and a critical re-evaluation of how one's extremely limited attention is allocated.
The speaker recounts struggling with Eid and birthdays as triggers for introspection, leading to a recurring cycle of making ambitious New Year's plans that were never realized. This pattern of setting unachievable goals consistently damaged self-esteem.
While early parts of the year (Farvardin, Ordibehesht) showed initial activity and productivity, the speaker consistently regressed into a comfort zone by the third month (Khordad), leading to a decline in effort that persisted for the remainder of the year.
Setting massive, unrealistic targets at the start of the year, often triggered by an 'Eid wake-up call,' proved counterproductive, resulting in frustration and a deviation from one's true path rather than actual progress.
Instead of waiting for the new year for grand plans, the speaker advises starting immediately with small, consistent actions, even 335 days into the current year. This incremental approach is crucial for sustained progress.
Attention is a very limited and valuable resource. Individuals must consciously decide where to direct their attention—to people, content, or experiences—instead of passively giving it away to distractions or negative influences.
Key questions for self-reflection include: 'How did I divide my attention in the past year?' and 'Did I freely give my attention to anyone who came along, or did I strategically invest it?' Planning where to direct attention in the coming year is essential.
True self-improvement is not about grand annual plans, but about the immediate and intentional allocation of one's scarce attention towards small, consistent, and meaningful actions.
| insight | description |
|---|---|
| Annual Wake-Up Call | Eid serves as a personal trigger for reflection, often leading to cycles of unfulfilled resolutions and damaged self-esteem. |
| The Comfort Zone Trap | Initial enthusiasm for change often wanes by the third month, leading to a regression into old habits and reduced productivity. |
| Ineffective Grand Planning | Setting unrealistic, massive targets at once causes frustration and failure, rather than genuine progress or self-improvement. |
| Incremental Progress | True change stems from starting immediately with small, consistent steps, rather than waiting for a specific calendar date or grand reset. |
| Attention as a Limited Resource | Attention is a finite and valuable asset that must be intentionally directed, not passively given away to distractions or irrelevant matters. |
| Strategic Attention Allocation | Consciously planning where to invest one's attention in the coming year is crucial for achieving personal goals and staying on one's path. |
