The Year of the Can

I generally don't make resolutions. I never have. And maybe that's part of the problem. If you never set goals and expectations for yourself, how will you ever achieve them?

Maybe the whole concept of "New Year's Resolutions" frames it improperly. We all know it's a big joke. Everyone says they're going to lose weight. Everyone joins the gym. People say they're going to do this and that, but they don't. We just say these things. We don't actually commit to them.

So this year I am going to commit. I am going to stop listing reason why I haven't done things, and instead list of what I am doing to get there. Not just what I intend to do. What I am doing.

I've heard lots of people preach this lately, and it's truly simple. Set goals. Even outrageous goals. Then immediately start taking steps towards achieving them. Don't make excuses. Don't put up obstacles. Replace the passive thinking with action.

The gurus will say that we all choose our own happiness and level of success. It's hard to believe, isn't it? Why would anyone chose to be unhappy? People everywhere are doing it everyday. We choose to listen to that little voice in our head, the one who says we will fail. Hell, lots of us have real people telling us that all the time...."but what happens if..?"

Yeah....and....? Then I'll just fix the problem and keep going. It's horribly cliche, but you can't have success without failure. In fact, when you do succeed, you'll wonder "now, why was I so worried about failing?" The only time failure will hurt you is if it makes you stop trying all together.

Forget excuses. Lose "can't". This year, I'm going to focus on what I can do to get there.