Dreams, like angels, can lift us up high above the world, taking us away from the daily grind. And that’s exactly what New Year’s resolutions are designed to help us do – lift us off the ground and guide us to a dream or goal.
But how often do you hear people say, “I gave up on resolutions years ago,” or “The last time I made a New Year’s resolution was when I was in 8th grade,” or “2 weeks into the New Year, those resolutions are blurrier than my thinking after that New Year’s hangover.” I’ve said all three. How about you?
Even without resolutions, we still have dreams. And oh how those dreams lift us up – for a while, until we let them get rusty with no intention and no action behind them. Those same dreams that once lifted us up now show up as failures, and make us so miserable that we’d welcome a strong New Year’s Day hangover as a relief.
Now, I confess I’m not much into resolutions. I’m not much into hangovers either. What I am into is making promises to my dreams – the promise to go for them all the way without any guarantee of success. So instead of making New Year’s resolutions, I make promises that are important enough and smart enough to keep (or break) all year long.
Make just one promise a year and you’re a different person that year and the next and the next. All you have to do is start with just one.
Take a moment to answer these five questions:
- If I earn 25% more income as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant how would that change my life?
- If I gained 5 hours a week for myself, how would that change my life?
- How do I want to show up in 2009?
- Where do I see my CLNC® business next year?
- What do my attorney-clients look like in 3 years?
Or, you can ask your own questions that will fulfill your dreams, personal or professional. Writing them down is important.
Next, choose the question that you are most intuitively drawn to. Don’t analyze why you’re drawn to it. Just trust that you are and write an answer to your question. Now create one promise related to the question and the answer you chose. This question and its promise is calling you for a reason – give it a chance.
Finally, create a checklist of measurable, attainable actions you will take to live your promise for 2009 and start with the first one. Check in once a week with both your dreams (which can change) and your promise checklist to assess how you are doing. Keeping your promises will bring you close enough to your dreams to keep them lifted up. Give your dreams wings to fly and they’ll carry you to new heights – personally and professionally.
Honor yourself in 2009 by making and keeping the promises that are worthy of you and your dreams.
Here’s to keeping your dreams lifted up high in 2009.
Success Is Inside!
Tags: attorney-clients, business, dreams, goals, hangover, new year, New Year's resolutions, promises, resolutions, Vickie Milazzo
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January 9, 2009 at 8:32 am
Mini
I agree with you, Vickie. If not many resolutions, one can be taken and we should bind by that and as you said, that really makes us a different person for that year. Thanks for the inspiring article. Wish A Very Happy New Year.
December 31, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Karin
Vickie,
Happy New Year!
I’ve just read 2 great books by Malcolm Gladwell: “Blink” and “Outliers”…they support a lot of your theories!
This afternoon I’ve been reading your book “Inside Every Woman”, chapter 7, Endurance to stir my enthusiasm for the coming year! It’s now about 17h45 and thanks, I’m feeling VERY animated…I read your blog about the economy and then went on to the Endurance piece. THE ECONOMY and economizing is the USP I’ve chosen for the 2009 as I want to use what I have i.e. the prevailing circumstances. I will endeavor to “build ” my “endurance muscles” too!
December 24, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Kaye Miller
GOOD BOOK ALERT! Besides Vickie’s books that inspire marketing and promotional ideas, I must recommend “The Spark” by Heward/Bacon. The Cirque du Soleil philosophy has insightful perspectives that will give you a boost.
December 22, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Steve
Vickie,
It is easy to feel overwhelmed with life, never seeming to have any spare time. This is especially true during the holidays as we stress out trying to be all things to all people. My solution – KISS your troubles goodbye: Keep It Simple, Stupid. We live in such a complex, 24/7 world that it is easy to become overloaded. Fight back by eliminating things that you don’t need. Cancel magazines that you don’t read. Close bank accounts that no longer serve a purpose. Clean out closets and garages by donating items that you never use. By dialing back the clutter, you will recover the peace of mind to focus on your dreams and reclaim time to live your promises.
December 15, 2008 at 10:21 am
Susan
Vickie,
You are so right! Making and keeping what started out as a small promise to myself has made a huge difference in my life.
I tend to shop without a plan. I buy what I like without thinking about where the item will live once I get it home. So, after living in my home for eleven years I was out of storage space. There was not an inch to be found anywhere.
I made a conscious decision to purge…and to purge on a daily basis. My agreement with myself was that I would clean out one bag of stuff every day. After only one month, I was truly amazed with my progress. I discovered that not only was I happy that I’d opened up plenty of storage space but also that I felt like I’d lost weight. There was something about purging all those things, many of which I hadn’t seen in years, that lifted a weight off me.
Take a little time in your life to purge. You’ll be happy you did.
December 9, 2008 at 9:56 am
Irene
I’m so happy you started a blog! Now I can get a daily dose of Vickie.
I usually don’t make resolutions either…but I promise I will this year.
Have a great New Year, Vickie! Can’t wait to see you again at the Conference!