Happy new year - New year's resolutions

We will open the book.  Its pages are blank.  We are going to put words on them ourselves.  The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.  ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce


New Year's is a unique holiday as it's the only holiday that celebrates the passage of time.

Perhaps that's why, as the final seconds of the year tick away, we tend to become introspective.

Then we wonder: how did time get away from us?

And why did all of our hopes and dreams never materialize?

Inevitably, that introspection turns to thoughts of
self-improvement and the annual ritual of making Resolutions.

We all do it. We swear to ourselves, "This is THE year" for
transforming our lives and fulfilling our goals.

We are determined to keep all the promises  to lose weight, stop
smoking, make more money, be more patient...



What resolutions did you make? Are they amongst the top ten?


Top ten resolutions


1. Spend more time with family and friends
2. Fit in fitness
3. Lose weight
4. Quit smoking
5. Enjoy life more
6. Quit drinking
7.Get out of debt
8. Learn something new
9. Help others
10. Get organised

New Year's Resolutions don't just have to be about losing weight or quitting smoking! Though these are certainly worthy endeavors, if you've been wishing to develop your creativity or drawing technique, now is the time to make these wishes into tangible goals. Pick one of these great ideas, write it out on a piece of paper, and stick it on your fridge or mirror as a daily reminder of your creative priority for the year.

1..I will make time for my art.

2. I will keep a daily sketch book.

3. I will study Anatomy and figure drawing.

4. I will study the old masters.

5. I will create a portfolio.

6. I will keep a journal of ideas.

7. I will practice drawing from life.

Whether you keep to your resolutions or break them will depend on your thinking process.

Earl Nightingale said 'You become what you think about."  Napoleon Hill said “Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe it can achieve." And now, in the poem '"e Victor" by C W Longenecker, another example of how to get our thinking processes working for us rather than against us.

The Victor

If you think you are beaten, you are.

If you think you dare not, you don't.

If you like to win but think you can't,

It's almost a cinch you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you're lost.

For out in the world we find

Success begins with a fellow's will.

It's all in the state of mind.

If you think you are out classed, you are.

You've got to think high to rise.

You've got to be sure of your-self before

You can ever win the prize.

Life's battles don't always go

To the stronger or faster man.

But sooner or later, the man who wins

Is the man who thinks he can.

You are what you believe.  BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!

What do you want?

 What you want should be tangible. Which means you can see it and touch it. 

Being happy or having more money doesn’t count because they are the results of getting what you want.

The better question is “What are you willing to “DO” to achieve your dreams?”

Wow! That is vastly different. 

Are you ready to commit to your own success? 

You have most likely contributed to someone else’s success. It’s your turn!

You can want something and talk, talk, talk about it, but until you actually DO something about your wants, it will remain stuck as a topic of discussion.

Surprisingly, if you think about it, it is the little things like making a phone call, making notes, doing research, talking to someone, making a list of what needs to be done that will make ALL the difference. Little steps move you to turning your dream into a reality

 Never forget that you are in control of your destiny.

 Only you can change the course of your life by giving yourself direction and permission to live the life of your dreams.

Remember it is not what you want, but what you DO that produces results!

You are what you believe.  BELIEVE IN YOURSELF! 

Also if you want to succeed Remember this golden rule: Write down your goal or resolution.

The simple mechanical act of writing makes your goal visible and tangible. That’s no longer just a thought!

     Now it’s a commitment.

Reaching for and achieving truly big things in life requires not just action, but knowledge - often very specific knowledge.  Not knowing what to do or how to do it is a core ingredient in the recipe for failure.  Most people fail not because they don't know what to do today, but because they don't go learn what to do tomorrow. And with learning your self respect, your self esteem, your skills, your opportunities will grow

Today is the day - Time waits for no one. 

No day can ever be lived again. o day can ever be lived again. 

 Most people literally waste their opportunities by wasting their time and then cry about having no time to do all the things they want to do... and truly believe it.

It's amazing how much impact a few great habits can have on a person's life.  Habits like placing a high value on your time.  Habits like using spare moments to learn, to finish projects, to do errands, to pick up after yourself, to plan, to organize.  Habits that failures scoff at.  

As you will find not every goal will be fully achieved. Not every job will end successfully. Not every relationship will endure. Not every hope will come to pass. Not every love will last. Not every endeavor will be completed. Not every dream will be realized. But enjoy the journey and look at what you have achieved and what you have learned and remember the people who have left their soul prints.

A dream written down with a date becomes a goal,

a goal broken down becomes a plan,

a plan backed by action makes your dreams come true.

Now, that you've been given (or reminded of) this very simple way to accomplish your goals, what will you write down and start doing today so that this year will be your best one ever?

References: http://www.gotresolutions.com

Mew year's resolutions How to make them and achieve them. http://www.gotresolutions.com/report_download.html

http://www.how-to-set-and-achieve-a-goal.com/





"Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true."  Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1850