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So here we are on the last square of the 2012 game board. The tendency for our society is to reflect on what went right, what went wrong, and how we can do it better next year. Kind of like the end of a book and the subsequent analysis of it. Tomorrow we start a new book, metaphorically speaking.
It’s hard to know what the title of 2013′s book will be until later, but I suppose we could put a title on 2012′s book now. Of course, we all have a different title for our books. Mine would probably be called “The Realignment” or maybe “The Awakening” to describe the clarity I experienced this year. Things I haven’t seen my whole life suddenly became clear to me. It’s like the debris in the water settled and I could finally see to the bottom of the lake. I’d say that was a pretty good year to have been the beneficiary of that life reward. We can think about the theme we would like 2013′s book to be, but only so much of how the book will be written is in our control. In my opinion, it’s kind of like this. You can steer the car but you have very little control over the traffic. The goal is to steer the car the best that you can, knowing that everyone makes mistakes. So try not to be too hard on yourself or others. That makes me think about New Year’s Resolutions. I am one of those people who stopped making giant New Year’s Resolutions a few years ago. I really didn’t see the point in it. They say that around 90% of people break their resolutions within a few weeks of making them. “Doomed to failure” say psychologists. That just sets people up to feel bad about themselves. This is to be distinguished from goal setting which is an entirely different thing. I think writing down goals and dreams is a very worthwhile activity. Why not make some resolutions you can try to keep? Maybe choose something that is a little more reachable? Here are some I’ve undertaken in previous years and they’ve been fairly successful for me. These are just ideas, but you will get the drift. Try to stop using disposable bags. Take re-usable bags or boxes to the grocery store for shopping. I keep them in the back of my car. It took awhile to get into a regular habit but now I rarely use plastic or paper bags in the store. Turn off the water while I’m brushing my teeth. I still have to work at that one but I keep trying. Oh, ok, so there’s only two. That I can think of anyway. Well that’s kind of embarrassing. Here’s one I’m going to try next year. Come up with a positive expectation for the day before I step out of bed. Maybe I’ll write it down before I go to sleep so I don’t miss it on a day I’ve slept too late. I’ll start off easy at first. Tomorrow’s will be “wish for a Happy New Year.” If you really insist on making a big New Year’s Resolution and haven’t come up with anything yet, consider picking one from the top 12 resolutions of 2012.
http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/ If none of these ideas appeal to you, perhaps you could say that your resolution is to keep your resolution (any resolution) for one week. The above website says that 75% of people keep their resolution for the first week, so then you can call it a success. My goal is success and doing whatever is necessary to be successful. Successful people = happy people = happy world, or something like that. Well, the clock is ticking so I’d like to say that I am hopeful everyone out there has some positive things they can remember 2012 by and I also wish you a smashing good time tonight and a very happy morning tomorrow! Happy New Year’s Eve! Originally published Jan. 1, 2012
Finally, it snowed in Minnesota! We have had the brownest winter I can remember in ages. It almost feels like Old Man Winter is ignoring us for too much complaining about last year's snow. But last night I found myself enjoying the immense quiet outside that happens when it snows like that. Even on New Year's Eve, barely a car could be heard on the road except for the occasional loud mufflered auto puttering somewhere in the distance. I suppose if you lived in the outer ring suburbs or rural areas, you might not notice how quiet it can get, but it is very noticeable in the city (or in my case, mid-range suburb). The oversized snowflakes coupled with the sheer peace and quiet added up to one thing for me - it felt magical and a beautiful way to ring in the New Year. Speaking of New Year, I found myself last week trying to face up to about ten years of post it notes that have accumulated on my desk. Yes, ten years' worth. Passwords, account names, remember this, remember that, drawings from my kids, ideas. Every time I looked at that stack I would think...some other time and push it into a hidden recess on my desk. Then last week, I picked it up, all 2 inches of it, and took it to the library. Decisions would be made, one by one until the pile was eliminated, greatly reduced or at a bare minimum combined onto one sheet of paper. I found inside those notes some worthwhile advice that I want to pass on to you as we start this New Year. I didn't write down the source of this information. These notes are so old I really can't even recall where I read it - the internet, newspaper, a book? I have no clue. So wherever credit is due, thank you for the excellent suggestions. The post-its are titled "Make Your Own Luck". *Be skilled at creating and noticing chance opportunities *Make lucky decisions by listening to your own intuition *Create self-fulfilling prophecies via positive expectations *Adopt a resilient attitude that transforms bad luck into good luck *Making your own luck will make others lucky too *Have a growth Mind Set -Need trial and error -Failing is the best way to succeed next time *Never stop learning. The entrepreneurial mind set does not see risk as danger. See it as heightened probability that there is a big range of possible outcomes. -Losing is essential to winning -Persistance and pursuit of knowledge leads to success *Calculate your risk. If you are going to take big risks, you must believe to the core that you are going to succeed. Need that faith. Here are some characteristics of the Classic Growth Mind Set: *Recognize Opportunity *Weigh possibility of failure against chance of success *Act accordingly *Reap profits I love running into positive notes like this. What do you say? Are you ready for 2012 to be your luckiest year yet? I sure am! |
AuthorI am a photographer who lives in Minnesota. I blog about Minnesota, photography, music, food and miscellaneous topics. Archives
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