HAPPY NEW YEAR: Skip the resolutions and take action!

HAPPY NEW YEAR: Tips for a productive 2009!

As my family and I watched the Times Square ball drop and the final countdown kissing 2008 goodbye commence last night, I promised myself that 2009 will be an abundant year filled with excitement, opportunity, celebration, laughter, community, personal victories and immense gratitude. We toasted the new year with exhortations to see good, do good, be good and of course, to remember that even in a dismal downturn economy, much can be achieved.
My recommended tips or game plan for a phenomenally productive 2009 will include the following:
Maintain a spirit of optimism; remember you are in charge of your attitude and a positive attitude will help you far more than one filled with negativity and doubt.
Keep your resolutions simple and SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely). Sheets of paper with loads of bombastic goals will derail your good intentions fast. Keep the list short and sweet and then add new goals as you accomplish the items on your list.
Be consistent with your plan to exercise, read, serve your community or do more of whatever else is on your list. Hold yourself accountable for decisions you make and the actions you take to bring positive change in your life.
Manage your ups and downs by taking time to de-stress your life. Take a walk around your neighborhood, catch a movie with friends/family, call an old friend who always made you laugh, go dancing or take a yoga class and clear your mind of the clutter.
Learn something new and open your heart and mind to new experiences. You can learn a new skill, a foreign language, a board or video game, a tasty dish to prepare, an interesting area/country to visit or even a new improved look for you. The point is to break out of the monotony and increase your realm of opportunity for NEW possibilities.
Share your largesse by giving back to others in your community. What do you do well? Share your skills and good fortune with those in need and you will already be on your way to making a difference in 2009.
If your business has suffered in the last year, look for new ways to revitalize your bottom line. Have you considered emerging markets or new market areas you can serve best? Re-evaluate your marketing efforts and look at ways to create a marketing message that is in sync with the needs of our times.
Make sincere, self-assessment a close companion this year. For invariably, what we resist persists; so take the time to look honestly at the areas in your life that need attention and take care to resolve any pressing personal matters.
After all, we cannot be fully present in our exchanges with others if our private world is falling apart. Being present and positive isn’t about glossing over reality, it is about facing your fears/problems with a CAN-Do spirit and making necessary, inevitable changes. I trust we can all take responsibility for our lives and just take ACTION… go DO IT!
This is only Day One and you have many more days/opportunities for success. Here’s to an awesome 2009…
NOW get UP!

Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank