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January 2006, What do you want in 2006?

Musing

Happy, fulfilling, richly abundant New Year! At the beginning of the new year I invite you to:
  • Take time this week to WRITE DOWN your goals for the New Year.
  • Take time to dream, to think big thoughts, to imagine a new world!
  • Take time to commit to the projects and challenges that add meaning to your life.
Don't settle for goals that are too easy, too small, too trivial. Make these your own. Eliminate the “shoulds" list in your head (lose weight, get organized, save $). Challenge yourself to be bigger this year. The new year will last twelve months. You will have 52 weeks in which to choose your priorities. You will have 365 days to decide where to focus your time, and your attention. You will have thousands of opportunities to make choices, to risk, and to learn. Twelve months is a huge amount of time! In twelve months you can achieve miracles.

Each January I pick a word that I want this next year to be about. It helps me focus my decisions and thinking. My word for 2006 is “discernment". For me this is about listening - to myself, spirit (same thing?!), and others more carefully. It will require slowing down, more silence. Big challenge. What would be your word for the new year? A great teambuilding tool is to ask all of your team “What word captures the experience you want to create for yourself at work this year?" Then have them share it with the group, put it on a sign above their desk, etc. Reinforces the concept that we are all in charge of our experience, no matter the externals.

Tool

I will offer you some new year questions to stimulate your thinking. Choose the ones that speak to you - enjoy.
  • What are the three priorities I want to accomplish in the New Year?
  • In what way could I experience more passion in my life?
  • What's the big dream that I've not been willing to acknowledge, even to myself?
  • In what way could I make my work more fun, interesting, fulfilling?
  • What do I want to BE this year?
  • What do I want to LEARN this year?
  • What do I want to FINISH this year?
  • Where and how will I invest in my personal and professional growth this year?
  • In what way do I want my PERSONAL relationships to improve and how will I make that happen?
  • In what way do I want my PROFESSIONAL relationships to improve and how will I make that happen?
  • What are some things I've been doing out of obligation that I no longer want to do?
  • If I could change anything about the way I communicate, what would it be?
  • In what way will I take better care of myself this year?

Food for Thought

You can end half your troubles immediately by no longer permitting people to tell you what you want.
— Vernon Howard

Laughter

SUCCESS IS:

At age 4 success is . . . not peeing in your pants.
At age 12 success is . . . having friends.
At age 16 success is . . . having a drivers license.
At age 35 success is . . . having money.
At age 50 success is . . . having money.
At age 70 success is . . . having a drivers license.
At age 75 success is . . . having friends.
At age 80 success is . . . not peeing in your pants.

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