Merry Christmas to all of you! I hope this year has been a wonderful one for you and that you are excited and looking forward to 2018. In the waning hours of 2017, I encourage you to take a little time to look back but even more time looking forward and planning for a great new year. Great things won’t just happen next year, we must make them happen. Hard work and perseverance always pay off in the end, and success leaves clues, so be sure to look for them as you plan your 2018.
Take some time to look back over 2017 to see what went well and what contributed to any success you had, and then don’t forget to celebrate those victories. However, don’t stop with the celebration. Don’t rest on your laurels. Keep that momentum going by continuing to learn, grow and work each day. Never be content to just coast through life reminiscing over past success. Keep your hands on the wheel, look ahead, and know in which direction you intend to go.
Where do you see yourself this time next year? Don’t know? Haven’t thought about it? That’s not acceptable! Jim Rohn said, “Don’t start the day until you have it finished. Don’t start the week until you have it finished. Don’t start the month until you have it finished. Plan your day.” Begin today thinking about what you can do every day, every week, every month to propel yourself forward, and then write it down and read it every day. Determine today to keep your mind and body active and engaged. You won’t always be 100%, but as Les Brown said, “Shoot for the moon, and if you miss, you will still be among the stars.”
You may be tempted to do less because there were times in 2017 that you missed your mark, but don’t let disappointments stop you. As a personal trainer and behavior change specialist, I know that backsliding and going back to our old ways is a natural part of our progression. It happens to everyone who tries to make a change. EVERYONE. Keep getting up and you’ll find that the times you backslide become fewer and farther in between. Abraham Lincoln said, “I am not concerned that you have fallen — I am concerned that you arise.” You can arise, and in so doing, you will conquer, eventually, as long as you don’t give up.
As you finish out 2017 and plan for 2018, forgive yourself for any shortcomings and cease dwelling on them. Don’t look back; you’re not going that direction! Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” I believe this wholeheartedly. We must shake off the old, if we are to embrace the new.
So, what’s new with you? I’d love to hear from you. What are your plans for 2018? Send me an e-mail and share what ways you are intending to grow next year. Let me be one of your cheerleaders. I know if we can dream it, we can do it. Dream BIG for 2018!
Leave a Reply