This is the time of year that people
usually take stock of their lives and consider making changes. These
changes, better known as New Year’s resolutions, usually take the form of
making more money, losing weight, stop smoking and/or eliminating some
other vice. However, in spite of our best intentions, most of these
resolutions barely make it past the first week of the year!
That’s because true change requires more
effort than just making a “resolution”. After all, if it were that easy to
make a change in your life we’d all be driving luxury cars, living in
fabulous homes and going on wonderful vacations. But life is not like that.
Let me make a couple of small suggestions
as to how you might make 2004 your best year yet. Instead of just making a
general “wish list” of things you would like to change in your life, make a
serious list of “goals”. The biggest difference between your wish list and
goals is that a goal is something you are striving to achieve.
Those of you who know me know that I am a
big fan of writing down goals. There’s something about writing down your
objectives on a piece of paper that serves to make them real and
effectively moves them from the world of wishes to the world of goals.
By putting your list in a conspicuous
place you will be reminded to work towards your goals – ideally every day.
As the famous Chinese expression says, the journey of a thousand miles
begins with one step. If you are constantly striving towards what is
important to you, you can not help but achieve it!
But the success comes with the constant
striving. Working towards your goals “once in a while” will only serve to
delay your reaching them. Make a conscience effort to work towards your
goals each and every day.
As you work toward your goals I would
encourage you to strive to keep a positive attitude about all you do. A
change in attitude is perhaps the biggest change that you can make in your
life. Volumes have been written about the benefits of positive thinking,
but in essence it all boils down to your attitude.
If you have a good attitude you can not
help but find the good in life. Even when times are tough and things are
not going according to plan, a good attitude will make you more aware of
opportunities as they present themselves and show you ways to get back on
track.
Conversely, a poor attitude is a fool
proof recipe for failure. I have yet to meet anyone with a bad attitude
about themselves, or life in general, who have managed to get beyond their
circumstances.
It doesn’t matter what you have done in
the past, what your education level is, where you’re from or what your job
is, your success or failure is determined by your attitude. Change your
attitude and change your life, plain and simple.
Wishing you a most prosperous New Year.
-Erich
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You get what you focus on. - Anthony Robbins
