Another New Year Already?

Today is the second day of the new year. This means it's the day I take down the tree and pack Christmas away for eleven months. It's a day that I greet with a conflict of feelings: joy that my family was together for the holiday; sadness that the holiday season is over; excitement for the upcoming events; and a mixture of anxiety and enthusiasm because I have to return to work tomorrow. It's a day that drives me to create one last dessert because I know I have to go back to eating healthy in just a couple of days. It's the day I should clean my desk of all my beady things and get ready for my classes. Notice I said "should."  Doesn't necessarily mean I will! But it will be the day I try to get one more beading project completed so I can work without distraction. 

Do you make New Year's resolutions? I learned that I set myself up for failure when I make resolutions. I'm good for about three weeks and then something interferes with my resolutions. Usually, it's me that interferes with them.

I admire those who can set New Year's resolutions down and follow through with them all year round. I always wonder what they have that makes them able to do it. So I asked a few people who practice the New Year's resolutions throughout the year.

I learned that the number one reason they are able to stick to their resolutions is because they plan how they will achieve their goals.  They don't simply chose and pick resolutions, but actually develop an action plan that will allow them to work at attaining those goals. And some of the people I talked to actually write down the steps of accomplishing those goals. Every one said it's easier to create easy, workable goals to accomplish that adds up to the major acheivement.  It's similar to developing a purpose and the processes of a business or agency. And resolution planning also involves realizing one's limits in time, money, space, and enthusiasm.  

For example, if I resolve to eat healthier, I need to plan how to achieve that goal. That would entail defining what healthier eating means and what goal will be acquired by eating healthier. Then I would have plan the action steps to eating healthier, which would involve buying and growing healthy foods and learning new recipes and cooking tasty meals that are indeed healthier. Recognizing that I will be teaching three to four nights a week, I need quick meals that can be easily reheated. So that means I will need to cook enough food on the weekends to package up into simple meals for those working nights.  

So with that in mind, I'm going to work better because I'm going to plan better. That made me realize I need to delay opening my store a little bit longer so I can clarify the purpose, goals and action steps needed to make the store a success. 

Oh yeah...the store is called My Other Vice. It's closed for the holidays for now. I hope you will visit once it's opened. 

Meanwhile, I wish you all the best of the New Year--Peace, Prosperity, and Hope.