We have not even celebrated Thanksgiving and already talk of the New Year?? You may be groaning. It smacks of Christmas decorations going up in the stores the day after Halloween. But there is method to my madness. Call it pragmatic resolution-making. If you begin dreaming and strategizing about what you would love to achieve in the New Year – long before the stroke of midnight on December 31 – you have a much better shot at choosing the right Resolution and following through day after day in 2014.
I have said it many times before and will say it again: When it comes to New Year Resolutions, the Internet is littered with the decaying carcasses of good intentions gone bad. Folks start out strong blogging about wonderful intentions on January 1 and by the end of February (sometimes sooner), the resolve is gone and the resolutions long forgotten.
Don't be a casualty in 2014. Instead strive to become a success story. Choose one resolution – maybe even a dream – that you would love to achieve. Take small daily steps – AKA Daily Resolves – that will make your resolution a reality. In an effort to arm you with the tools and strategies you will need I am running my 'Best Of' columns posted since founding I Resolve To . . . in 2005. If you would like to see the full list of my favorites, please visit Kim Simpson at Ezine Articles. To help with your brainstorming, feel free to use the I Resolve To . . . Work Sheet. Today's food for thought:
Do What You Love – Love What You Do! (Re-Print)
Do What You Love – Love What You Do! It can be more than a 'motto' if you truly believe in yourself and what you are doing. I've been a goal-oriented person throughout my life and I've always tried to 'do what I love and love what I do'. In junior high school, I decided to pursue a career in journalism. Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein were my inspiration during the Watergate/Nixon years.
With that goal in mind, I began work on my first major dream as a teenager and succeeded in becoming a television political reporter upon graduating from college with a Degree Journalism and Political Science, and a Masters Degree in Public Affairs Reporting. Thankfully, I had wonderful teachers, mentors, friends, and family members to help me along. To this day, I appreciate their attention, encouragement, and advice more than they know.
Equally important, I learned to create 'plans – including timelines and deadlines' – that took me from start to finish. Those plans were mostly of 'my own making' because strategic thinking and planning is not something that you're taught in school. Much of of my planning was instinctual. I'm an organization nut by nature. But I also grew by educating myself, and by doing creative planningand problem solving 'on the job' throughout my career. If I didn't know how to do something, I found books that would help. Over the years I've read scores of books that have helped me to learn to plan, create, write, achieve, succeed, and do. There are so many wonderful authors, ideas, and approaches. There is always something new to learn, and so many good teachers! I took classes, asked questions and listened to my mentors and teachers at work, school and in professional organizations.
Plans, however, are not carved in stone. To succeed you have to be flexible, adaptable, and open-minded. Not surprisingly, through the years, my career has taken a variety of challenging twists and turns. It hasn't always been easy, it's certainly been a lot of work, but it's brought enormous joy, reward, and satisfaction to my life. Early in my career I thought I'd always be a political reporter. Life, however produced interesting surprises, and I eventually veered off that track and went directly into politics. That said, the thread that has remained constant throughout my life is my love for writing and communications. After I left reporting, I wrote a really bad novel, and now I'm working on a 'How To Book' about achieving dreams, resolutions and goals (much better than my 'bad novel'!).
I've been an avid 'journaler' both hard-copy and on Internet Blogs for years and years. I manage my life out of spiral notebooks, journals, and calendars. I've learned that writing things down is an important way to chronicle life, and to move dreams forward day by day. I set timelines, deadlines, chart progress, make course corrections when I'm off track – and most importantly, I reward myself for hard won victories. I write things down so I can think things through on paper. I write things down so I can devise a strategy that answers the question of 'how, what, when, where, and why' I can and will achieve my dreams, resolutions and goals. I write things down so I can review my progress and all the daily actions I have taken.
Writing is as important and vital to me, my happiness, and survival, as breathing air. I long ago found my purpose in life. The writing and creative process has taken may forms, brought many surprises, and things haven't always worked out exactly as I thought they would, but it has been a wonderful ride on the both the good days and the not so good days when I did hand to hand combat with obstacles. I do what I love and I love what I do. I have no regrets and I count my blessings each and every day for all that I have and all that I am.
I hope you've also found your 'true love' – those dreams large and small about which you have great passion and interest. Dreams that complete your life, make it interesting and wonderful! Dreams that make you want to get out of bed and face the day with a smile on your face. If you haven't figured out what you would love to do perhaps its time to consider these questions:
- Do you wake up in the morning, looking forward to the things you'll be doing, the challenges you'll be tackling, the people you'll be working with and meeting? Or do you drag through your day, dreading what's to come? What changes, both small and large, could you make that would help you to look forward to your day? What are your dreams? What are the 100 things that you would truly love to do, see, create, achieve, learn, feel, be, have in your lifetime? Pick just one dream and turn it into a one sentence resolution, a promise: I Resolve To ________. Then do your homework, learn all the many things you need to do to achieve your dream, your resolution. Pursue it passionately, patiently one small step, one small goal at a time, one day at a time until you succeed.
- If you're already pursuing your dreams, but aren't feeling satisfied with progress, or the journey, are you keeping a journal that chronicles your ups and downs? Do you sit down, in a quiet place where you can feel relaxed, to do a weekly Check In? Do you review what you've achieved and think through your 'next daily steps', or are you on auto-pilot? Maybe it's time for some fresh brainstorming, some conscious decision-making. Maybe it's time to do more homework. What are the many steps you need to take to make your dream a reality? What do you need to do to take those steps/daily goals into reality?
- Do your values match your dreams, resolutions and goals? Have you ever tried to match up your values and beliefs to your dreams, resolutions and goals? Perhaps it's time to consider what you value in life, what you believe in, as compared to your aspiration and goals . . . do they complement each other? If not, how can you reconcile the two?
- Do you go it alone? Maybe it's time to find a buddy, friend, or family member who shares your dream and can lend encouragement, and help build energy, enthusiasm and motivation. Take classes, they will help to keep you focused!
These questions aren't easy to ponder or answer. Life isn't easy. But they're all worth considering if, eventually, they will set you on a course to a more productive, rewarding life. Life isn't perfect, but it can be happy and fulfilling if that's your true desire and you're willing to work hard for it -one dream, one resolution, one goal, one step, one day at a time – with passion, patience, persistence, and commitment.
Remember: I Resolve To . . . Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.® It's your choice. Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps: Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good! Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey! Let's Go For It!
Need More Inspiration? Wear Your Resolution By Visiting The I Resolve To . . . Shop At CafePress: IResolve To . . . Resolutionista Gear And By Joining The Official I Resolve To . . . Group At Gather.Com. Get going on your 2014 New Year Resolutions with the I Resolve To . . . Work Sheet. View my 2009-2014 Health & Happiness Tapestry by clicking through Daily Resolve Photo-Resolutions.
Kim M. Simpson – November 22, 2013 Copyright © I Resolve To® . . . Inc. * All Rights Reserved
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