Happy New Year and Happy New You!

New Year’s Day is actually one of my favorite holidays. Usually, all of my family is off work, which means lots of togetherness, movie-watching, eating, and relaxing. Can’t go wrong with any of that!

I also love the whole idea of starting fresh. It’s like we’re given a fresh, new notebook without a single mark inside. It’s entirely in our power to fill it with whatever we choose. Whatever we had written, scribbled, or drawn in previous notebooks barely affects this one, at all. It’s a fresh start - blank pages and the pen is in our hand, and our hand alone!

Speaking of writing, have you written your resolutions down? My oldest daughter and I do this ritual every year. There are a few that we’re still working on - but I think we have given ourselves the edge to make them happen this year (see the link below my name). If you haven’t written any down, you should do so as soon as you step up from the computer. BUT, don’t just write them down and leave them on the paper to fend for themselves. Take each one and ask, “What do I have to do to make it happen?” There are certain things you can count on in life (death, taxes, colds in the winter, Angelina Jolie will be beautiful, Andy Griffith will make you smile, men don’t like shopping…) but one of the most consistent of these is: Whenever we have a goal or desire, the words “I have to…” will always, always, always come first. Nothing just happens because we want it to. We have to MAKE IT HAPPEN.

And what better time than right now?

Once you’ve written your goals down, and you’ve discovered what you have to do to make your list a reality - don’t let anything stop you or even slow you down. Making changes isn’t a short, easy little battle, it’s a long, tough one. Just remind yourself, the tougher the battle, the stronger you’ll grow….and the less likely you’ll be to ever go back to “before.”

Make 2008 your best year ever!
~Joi

Make Sure Your Resolutions Don’t Go in One Year and Out the Next!