About six months ago, I made an assessment of my life.
Figured out the things I really want out of life. I dug deep to uncover the
real Julius Kelly. I evaluated my
present, and decided my future. However it wasn’t until one week ago, that I
decided I needed a real change in order to make that happen. Not just a quick
fix, but a real change. Real change comes over time.
Real change comes over time…
Some people would argue that point. Some feel that once you
get sick of how life is, you just make a quick turnaround, and fix it right
then. Wrong or right? Not for me to tell. We’re all entitled to our own
opinions. This is mine. There are some
times when a quick change does work. When you’re talking about revamping your life,
however, that’s not a small change. Often times, a quick change isn’t planted
and allowed for time to grow so it’s not rooted. In those cases, a quick change is better
described as a phase
Anybody who has
remodeled a house in any way knows that before any job, there has to be
preparation. You have to have the right tools. You have to have somewhat of a
plan or vision for what you desire your finished project to look like. You have
to prepare those walls to be painted. You have to measure those cabinets before
you put them in. You have to have the anchors for the screws to put that shelf
up on drywall. There also has to be time for the adhesive to bond or for the
paint to dry. There has to be time for the work to settle.
Here’s another analogy. When trying to achieve fitness goals
(especially around January first and May first[1])
there has to be more than a sudden “I’m going to hit the gym up.” There has to
be shopping for healthier foods. You need to be planning your workout week for
real results that will last. There is research to find out what kind of
exercises would be specifically helping you. After you achieve your fitness
goals, you have to keep doing these things to stay where you desire.
Real change takes time, and work. It takes Motivation and
dedication.
I need a real change, and I acknowledge this. I’m not where I
want to be in life, and certainly not where I need to be. I am a powerhouse of
potential. What good is potential if it’s never utilized for growth into a
skill or maybe even a talent? It holds the same value as an appleseed sitting
on a desk.
Through these realizations and self-assessments, I have come
up with a realistic plan to reach my potential. I call this plan “My 360” In a
nutshell, my 360 is not just a plan but more like a lifestyle change. A 360 is
a full turnaround (we’ll get more into that later) From about 4 days ago,
through September eleventh[2], I
will be completely revamping my life. I
will be utilizing every method of success I know from budgeting to school. I
will also be working on my presentation. From outward appearance to the way I
portray my personality. Social skills will be in development as well as the
potential that I have. There will be time for spontaneity as well. I’m not
planning on planning every aspect of every day out. That’s just overkill and to
be honest, I could use a little spontaneity. Being spontaneous gives balance to
life by keeping the mundane from creeping in.
Now there have already been some valid arguments to this
program I’m doing. One of them being the name. Technically speaking, a 360 is a
full circle. So the valid argument came up that if it’s a 360, it would just
put me right where I started. So if my
goal is to change direction, then it should be called My 180. Again this is a
very valid argument. However, you will hear me say this a lot on paper and in
real life. Perception is everything. I don’t see it as a complete circle, but
as a complete turnaround. A 180 would be stopping halfway through completely
turning around. I’m completely turning around modifying myself as a do. Once I
see where I am in a new light, I can decide where to go from there. The change
I have in mind for myself, is simply a
restructuring of me.
Another Valid argument came up. Based on many people’s
perceptions it would seem like a journey into manhood. Again that would depend
on what your view is. Based on what I have allowed people to see so far, I can
understand why they would think that, but knowing the full story, I can’t agree
with it. I know how I define what a man is and I have been that for a very long
time. For me a man isn’t defined by what everyone else see’s but by his
integrity, priorities, responsibilities, strength (inner and outer) and
character. There are sacrifices that I
have made for people that will never know about them simply because as a man, I
have never felt that a sacrifice should be to glorify one’s self. There are
decisions I have made as a man of my word that have put me in very tough
situations, but I refuse to give up my word simply because it would be easier. A man keeps his word. At least in my perception of a man.
I’m sure plenty more arguments will arise and who knows, in
time I may change the name of it if I see it a different way through this
process. For now though, I believe that this is the right choice. I have been
doing MY 360 for almost a week now, starting with studying for my A+
Certification[3]
(Computers is one of those things I have potential in), and registering to
start classes again. I am very confident
that come September, I will be where I need to be and soon after that, I hope
to incorporate a wonderful lady into the life that I will have made for myself.
[1]
January First being new years resolutions and May First being the month before
summer and the beach
[2]
September 11th is the final payment on my car
[3] A+
Certification is basically a certificate saying that I know my stuff when it
comes to computers and makes me more hirable until I can get my degree.
