We are just about two weeks away from the end of the year. Now is the perfect time to take inventory of what worked for you this year and what you should consider changing for next year. I like to call it, The Year End Reflection. This is also a great time to plan out your goals for next year, both professional or personal. Let’s bring in 2017 with gratitude in our hearts and goals on our minds.
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I learned to celebrate the victories no matter the size. It is the little victories along the way that provide the motivation to keep going. Yesterday, I reached 50 likes on this blog site. When I started, I could not even come up with a steady topic to write about. I know that every little victory is leading to a big win. The hardest part is just to start!
I used to argue, fuss and fight to voice my opinion. Those days are long gone. People are quick to offer up opinions based on what “they” believe. For example, if someone says that something you want to do is “impossible” it is based on the opinion that it is impossible for “them”. Realizing this, instead of arguing, I allow folks to “keep” their opinion and I go about with my own. I just say “watch me!”
In life, the most precious gift we have been given is time so don’t waste it on contemplating what your “not” good at. Take time and take an inventory list of all the things you are good at. What make you you. Once you have your list, keep it handy. Life starts to open up when we play to our strengths, rather than your weaknesses.
In one of the books I read, it stated that we can not connect the dots unless we look back. Looking back is good once in a while, but your future is in front of you. Learn to reconcile and appreciate all of the events in your past because they have made you the person you are today. That means the choices you make today, will lead you to the person you wish to become tomorrow. How cool is that? You can become the master of your fate and the captain of your soul!
I am watching my love bird climb his cage to check out a lamp I placed above his cage. He is always investigating things around his cage. I have to stay mindful about what I place near his cage. What I love the most is that after 13 years, he is still curious about things and he is willing to check things out.
When you know that you are on the right path many new opportunities seem to be “pop up”. Not all distractions are “bad”. In times of temptation, keep clarity. Make sure that you have your goal or vision handy and that it is written down. Review it often. Don’t get caught off guard by distractions.
I learned a few great adages from my time in the military in which I still use to navigate life’s challenges. One that I still find myself saying and sharing with is others is “adapt and overcome”. It is a reminder to me to be flexible in dealing with situations, circumstances and people. Great time to us this is when you feel frustration setting in, stop, breathe and re-evaluate.
Sometimes you just have to say yes to an opportunity and then figure out the details later. Often our first response is to say no. Opportunities come to move you and to help you grow. The key factor is to remember that all prayers are answered. The answers just may not come in the form of our expectations.