2009

“How was 2008 for you? Was it great? Was it less than great? I have good news for you too, this is your chance to punch the reset button and start anew.
I love this time of the year. January 1 is a chance to be reborn. No matter who you are or where you are now, everyone comes back to the starting line again. Once the clock strikes midnight on December 31, all the pains, joys, successes, or failures are wiped clean, and the door on the previous year shuts forever. All you bring forward are the wisdoms you have gained from the years thus traveled.”
Darren Hardy, Publisher, Success Magazine

Let’s start a movement, you and I. First, let me explain…
By most measures my life kind of, well… sucks right now. I simply did not have the best year. Much of what’s at issue with me right now is my fault.
I’ve been irresponsible at times.
I’ve let my emotions make decisions for me.
I’ve made more than my fair share of mistakes.
All this accounts for the position I’m in right now. I take full responsibility for the mistakes I’ve made. What I won’t do, however, is take all the blame. I know this sounds like the merest semantic difference to many of you, but it makes perfect sense to me. Not all of my problems are completely my fault. I’ve been lied to and screwed over. I’ve been badly mistreated by people who I once thought cared about me and my future.
C’ vest la vie. So what now?
Now is a great opportunity to reassess where you’re at in your life and set some goals on how you’re going to make 2009 the best year of your life (or in my case, at least better than 2008… which shouldn’t be too hard).
You can set goals in just about any sphere of your life. It’s up to you.
· Relationships- Are there some relationships you need to shore up? Maybe there’s some you need to get out of. I know it sounds harsh to more or less kick people out of your life, but that is one area that I’ve had some success in throughout the past year. I’ve gotten some very negative people away from me and made room for those who have a much more positive influence on me and my life (if you think I’m referring to you, you’re probably right).
· Health- You might need to lose some weight. You might need to get more fit. It doesn’t matter which. Just freakin’ do it!
· Career- Maybe this is the year you get your career back on track, get promoted or finally get the schooling you need. Whatever the case may be, let’s make 2009 the year you finally get it done.

Here are my goals…
· Be the best dad I can. This is, without question, my most important goal.
· Get a new job. A good one, with a great company.
· Get published. I’m full of big talk about being a writer. Let’s see if I can make a go of it.

Just so you don’t think I’m all doom and gloom, I have to say that despite the rather considerable rough spots I’ve experienced in 2008, I’ve managed to experience some wonderful things…
· I have the most amazing children you can imagine. The three of them never cease to amaze me and never cease to make me want to be a better person and a better dad.
· I’ve had the good fortune to make the acquaintance of one of the finest people I have ever known, someone who believes in me and cares for me no matter what. I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done for me.

So here’s what I propose we all do…
Push your limits…
Be fearless…
Kick some ass…
Etc…
I hope you want to join me on this quest- if you do, leave a comment on this blog entry. I once inspired someone with something I wrote. I hope I've done that for you today. So let's start a movement, you and I. Let's make 2009 the best year we possibly can.