5 Secrets to Your Success in the New Year

Today, I've taken some of the most popular New Year’s resolutions and I’m sharing ways you (and I) can realize success for each of them.

1.   Lose weight.  This one hits close to home. Every year, I put this at the top of my New Year’s resolutions list. In fact, many times, I put only this on my list. Some years, I would go on a diet (i.e. Atkins: lost 12 pounds, gained them back—and then some-- after I quit the diet) and some years, I would join a gym (i.e. Gold’s 1-year membership: went regularly a few times a week for a few months, had surgery, never went back). Secret #1: The key to success is in the quit; don’t do it! When I looked back at the ways I’d failed in losing weight, year after year, I realized that my failure was all about quitting before I realized success. This year, I’m challenging myself to be successful in losing a few pounds and getting fit. I have a plan and I’m sticking to it! (And for those of you who know me personally, you’ll know by the end of the year if this worked or not!) And if you’re celebrating the season and new year with alcohol, be aware of the calories you’re consuming. For those who drink, approximately 16% of the calories they consume are from alcohol. So, when you make your plan, consider the liquids you consume as well as the foods. Be sure to check with your doctor for a plan that’s right for you.
2.  Save money.  Often, at the end of the year, we look back wishing we’d been more financially savvy. If you find yourself wishing you’d saved more of your hard-earned money, here’s how to give yourself the best chance to make that happen. Secret #2: Change your attitude. When you change your attitude towards money, you can begin to change your financial life. Best-selling author and financial guru, Dave Ramsey says, “It’s time to change the attitudes that keep you broke.” Financial Peace University is his ‘baby’ and the program has helped millions change their financial stories. The first steps are getting past the myths of debt and money, embracing the changes you’re making even when they’re painful and doing it all with a new attitude toward your finances. Click here for more info on how financial peace of mind can be yours. 
3.  Help others. The spirit of giving during the Christmas season prompts us to open our hearts to those less fortunate and less able to care for themselves. But just because Christmas is over doesn't mean our hearts have changed. When making resolutions for a new year, we often find ourselves resolving to give a little more, to dig a little more deeply into our pockets and into our hearts to ease another’s burden, feed some hungry tummies or help out Santa on his merry rounds. Secret #3: Keep your spirit of giving alive. Look around you. There’s more opportunity for giving than ever. Whether you donate a pint of blood, a few cans of food to a food bank or volunteer at a local school, you can put a smile on someone’s face and make a difference in their lives. For a really cool idea we can do together, click here.
4.   Go green. It’s not just a popular idea, it’s a good idea. And an idea that can get your creative juices flowing in finding ways to do it. Secret #4: Simplify your life. Recycling is top of the list when it comes to going green. If you aren't recycling, the new year is a great time to start. And if you are, what about recycling all your unused items, clothes, etc. and live a bit more simply? (Oh, how I need to do this!) Contact your local charity store and find out when they accept donations. Or, start your own ‘free store.’ It can be a one-time community swap or an ongoing physical store where people can bring their unwanted items and pick up items they want or need. At the end of the day, you’ll have simplified your life and given yourself a freedom from all the ‘things’ that hold you hostage in the cleaning, maintaining and upkeep of them all. Plus, you’ll have provided others with gently-used items and clothing that make their lives a little better. And, if the planet had a capacity to love, it would love you for taking care of it.
5.  Travel more. Wow, who wouldn't like to travel to new places and experience the different foods, languages and cultures? Or maybe you’re interested in travelling around your own country, to parts unknown to you? Even here in the United States, there are so many differences depending on what part of the country you’re in. Secret #5: Chase your dreams. If your dream is to travel, just do it. Not that easy? Then chase that dream and make a plan. I recently found that if you want to, say, take a cruise, but find it hard to part with that lump sum of money, you can opt to make manageable payments. Also, check to see if you qualify for employee perks that include travel packages or if you can rack up points to use toward travel when using your debit / credit cards. Don’t just dream about it; do it. Click here for a good place to start chasing your travel dreams. 

The really cool part about these 5 secrets is that you can use them to find success in keeping your New Year’s resolutions and in other areas of your life. Check it out:

·                Secret #1: The key to success is in the quit; don’t do it!

·                Secret #2: Change your attitude.  

·                Secret #3: Keep your spirit of giving alive.

·                Secret #4: Simplify your life.

·                Secret #5: Chase your dreams.

How’s that for a game plan for life?

So, break open the bubbly (non-alcoholic, please) and make a toast to your success in the coming New Year!

Jean

Wanna share your thoughts?

1)      Made any New Year’s resolutions?

2)      Have a resolution-keeping success story?

3)      Do you like travelling and where have you been? 

It's the End of the World as We Know It

This week, I was on vacation at the beautiful North Carolina shore. When I’m on vacation, I take a break from everything. It’s the best way to rejuvenate my spirit and ensure that I’m more productive when I return to the real world. So, in the few moments I did turn on the television, I stayed away from the news channels. Mostly. Until my last vacation day when, while channel surfing, something caught my attention. It was (drum roll, please) the end (dramatic pause) of the world.

As I took my last walk along the coast, which in theory could be my ‘last’ walk if Harold Camping’s prediction is right, I pondered what I had heard. Apparently, as with any doomsday prediction there were people who whole-heartedly believed it and people who found it to be a good excuse to go out and party. Then there are those of us who find it interesting, not really believable, but an opportunity to reflect on questions such as, “If this were my last day on Earth, how would I spend it so I would leave with no regrets?”

Feeling the sand between my toes and the sun on my face, I had to admit that I would have no regrets in leaving. I know, without a doubt, that those I love (my family and friends) know that I love them. I harbor no ill will toward anyone in my heart. And when it comes down to the end, the fact that I never owned a Lexus or a Versace won’t really matter all that much.

I realized what really matters is my relationship with God’s wonderful creations- people. It’s true that, when it comes to material things, you can’t take it with you. But the way we treat others, that’s what we’ll leave behind as our legacy. For good or for bad. So, I had to ask myself: Am I leaving behind a legacy of kindness and forgiveness? Are you? And if not, what can you do about it?

Realize that it’s not too late to make a change. Maybe, like me, you don’t really believe the world will end on 5/21/2011 at 6pm. But, if it did, wouldn’t it be great to make your exit performing an act of kindness for someone else rather than drowning your sorrows and regrets in a bottle? And, if it isn’t the end, how much better will it be to wake up the next day with a joyful heart rather than a painful hang-over?

Is this the end of the world as we know it? I hope so. Let tomorrow be a better day, a day where kindness and forgiveness abound. It doesn’t take a disastrous prediction to make that happen. All it takes is you to either make a change or affect a change in someone else. You CAN make a difference!

Now, just in case you’re wondering why I don’t buy in to these types of apocalyptic predictions, it’s because the Bible clearly states that no one, not even the angels or Jesus Christ himself, knows the hour when Christ will return. Only God knows. (Refer to Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32). For me, it’s that simple.

Of course, I may just wait a few days to cut the lawn. After all, no use wasting my time. So, as I hum that tune, “It’s the End of the World as We Know It,” I feel fine.

Jean