C.S. Lewis - You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream
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Welcome to The Daily Quote—a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm your host, Andrew McGivern, for December 30th.
With just one day left in the year, it’s the perfect time to celebrate National New Year’s Resolution Planning Day. This holiday exists to give you the chance to map out the promises you’ll make to yourself for next year—before the clock strikes midnight and you find yourself promising something vague like “be healthier” while holding a glass of champagne and a hotdog.
So, in the spirit of planning ahead, let’s dive into today’s quote from C.S. Lewis:
"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream."
Now, this is the kind of quote that feels like a warm mug of optimism with a sprinkle of accountability on top. C.S. Lewis gently reminds you that it’s never too late to reinvent yourself. Whether you're 16 or 60, there’s always room to dream big—and the upcoming year is the perfect excuse to do just that.
When you think about it, resolutions are basically dreams in practical clothing. The trick is to dress them well enough to survive January. So, instead of “be healthier,” you might say, “walk 10,000 steps a day,” or instead of “read more,” go for “finish 12 books in 2025.” See? Less wishful thinking, more achievable goals.
Even better than saying finish 12 books is to say read 20 minutes every day. I've mentioned this twice before on the Daily Quote - it comes from James Clear and if you commit to reading 20 minutes every day by the end of the year you will have read for 122 hours by the end of the year which if your reading speed is average (300wpm) you will have finished 15 books this year.
But committing to 20 minutes per day is easier to do and will guarantee the result you want. Instead of procrastinating until December and then saying crap... I have to read 12 books this month!
Buy you have to decide you are going to do it and commit yourself to the 20 minutes per day. The word decide actually means to cut cut off all other options.
But let’s be honest: if you don't do this resolutions will feel like you’re setting yourself up for failure. After all, gyms are packed in January and eerily empty by March. That’s why Lewis’ wisdom is so refreshing. It’s not about nailing every goal perfectly; it’s about trying again, no matter how many times you’ve tripped over your ambition in the past.
So, as you plan your resolutions today, remember to keep them realistic, give yourself grace, and don’t be afraid to dream a little bigger this year. After all, 2025 is just waiting for you to make your mark on it.
And remember having just one thing that is the most important to accomplish will help give you clarity.
I had a commitment to publishing an episode of the Daily Quote every single day in 2024. I had other goals too and some of them I've also achieved, others not as consistent. But this one I decided to be 100 % committed to.
So if you have a bunch of resolutions, then pick the one that you must absolutely achieve and commit yourself to it.
And if your not into new years resolutions or goal setting at all then you can spend the day eating a plate full of bacon today because today is also National Bacon Day!
That’s it for today. Thanks for spending a few minutes with me here on The Daily Quote. If this episode gave you a nudge to set some resolutions—or just inspired you to dream—consider sharing it with a friend who might need the same boost.
I'm Andrew McGivern, signing off for today. I'll be back tomorrow, same pod time, same pod station for another Daily Quote.