I’m launching my own business in two weeks.  Let me say that again… I’M. LAUNCHING. MY. OWN. BUSINESS.

There.

I’ve said it out loud.

What in the world am I thinking?

Remember my goals for 2010? I believe this one falls under the “hop off a cliff” and “take leave of my senses” category.  Wouldn’t you agree?  In any event, I am learning a lot.  A WHOLE LOT.

Like the fact that it is way easier to advise clients regarding their own logos, websites, written copy, marketing and social media than to DO IT FOR MYSELF.  You guys, I am a maniac.  I have thought and rethought and reworked and rewritten more in the last three weeks than IN MY LIFE.  I know you think that I am exaggerating.  But ask anyone close to me and they will tell you the truth.

Now, compounding this issue is the fact that I am still full time at my old job.  Remember that one?  The one I wrote about here? That job will finish up at the end of this month.  Theoretically, I will then be able to BREATHE.  Then again, maybe not.  Until that time I find myself mired in websites, marketing and all of that rigmarole.

So stay with me on this new business journey.  I’m sure you’ll be hearing more about it.  That is, unless I never actually get the darn copy done.

It seems that I am all about strolling down memory lane these days.

I got a call from my old college roommate yesterday and it totally got me reminiscing.  And you know what? I figured out that I learned a very valuable lesson from her, albeit by mistake.

A little back story: I was blessed to live with three amazing  gals in college and we did everything together.  It was the perfect arrangement.

So one night, my roomies Katharine, Zoe, Jenny and I went to a party together.  It was the usual kind of party with the usual kind of people on the usual kind of college night.  And yeah, we had fun.

The next day I overheard Katharine on the phone with a pal talking about the “amazing”  and “wonderful” party she had attended and how it was “incredibly” fun.  Zoe and I just looked at each other joked about how we might not have been at the same party because that was NOT how we remembered it. At all.

Carrying the joke a bit further, I proposed that perhaps the difference between our life and Katharine’s was simply a series of better adjectives.

And you know what?  It was true.

And it IS STILL true for all of us. Think about that for a moment… your  life is essentially how  you describe it. So, what words are you using? Are they empowering? Positive?  Or are they defeating?

Now that I think about it, Katharine was always having tremendous experiences.  Nothing seemed to be insurmountable for her. (Except, for some reason, her finance class.)

There was a lesson in there for me. I have carried it with me and applied it to my life ever since.

And you know what? I’ve found that my life is nothing short of FABULOUS!

I love a fresh slate.

For me, when the ball drops and the fireworks begin, it is a symbol of hope.  The opportunity for each of us to create our existence anew.   The feeling that one can do ANYTHING and that for the next 12 months, the possibilities are unlimited.

I am a huge believer in the power of goal setting.  Lewis Carroll once said that “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.”  Wise, indeed.

This year I am sticking with 10 very achievable goals to guide me throughout the months ahead and I would love to share them with you…

1. Become less buoyant.
Ditch the excess baggage on the bod like, pronto.  You know you have hit your personal  limit when suddenly you don’t let people take pictures of you anymore.  (At least without small children standing in front of you.) No documentation=no guilt?  So I will be on a personal journey, which I will probably share with you for the purpose of motivation.  Or accountability.  I can name at least three blog friends who are not afraid to call me out on it…. Um, Brandee?

2. Bang it out.
Become a better writer/blogger. With my personal blog approaching it’s first birthday and my new opportunity with the Washington Times, my goal for the New Year is to really bang out some quality content.  ‘Nuff said?

3. Frighten strangers.
With intense squeals of laughter. With unabashed moments of glee.  I don’t know about you but I have become far too serious and I”m tired of it.  When is the last time you laughed until you peed your pants?

4. Take leave of my senses.
Go out on a limb. Do something unexpected….OFTEN. Try new things.  Find passion.

5. Hop off of a cliff.
Quit analyzing so much and TAKE ACTION.  Not to be all Anthony Robbins on you but, ACTION needs to be my mantra for 2010. Not reading books about action. Not talking to people about taking action…. JUST TAKING ACTION, ALREADY.  Sometimes I “prepare” so much that I don’t get things done.

6. Get a divorce.
From my attitude.  It is time to retrain the old brain into some new ways of thinking.  Continue with my gratitude journal. Recognize life for the blessing that it is.

7. Ditch the fear.
Do I really need to explain this one?

8. Be others focused.
Do I need to explain this one too?

9. Get over myself already.
Recognize that God and my faith are the most important and pivotal things things in my existence.  Put that first.

10.Change the record in my head.
Give myself a break.  Realize that it is okay if I can’t do it all perfectly.

Okay.  So now that I have put this all out there I welcome your thoughts.  Can you relate?  Am I missing something? Care to share one or two of your own?  Or… do you totally hate resolutions?  Inquiring minds want to know!

It is that time of year again.  A time for reflection. A time of anticipation. A time of renewal.

I don’t know about you, but I am a sucker for the New Year.  I just adore the feeling of a clean slate and unlimited possibilities!

So, with that in mind, I wanted to put together some guidelines to help you prepare for a successful year ahead:

Dream big. Set the bar high for yourself! Yeah, the easier stuff is simple to achieve but why settle for the small dreams?  If you succeed, you will feel amazing and let’s face it – if you fall short you will still end up exceeding your expectations!

Chart a course. Make a plan. How can you get where you want to be going without a map?  It doesn’t make sense to have huge expectations and nary a plan to achieve what you want.  Be realistic.  It just isn’t going to happen if you don’t take some time to plan out your action steps.

Work at it. There is no such thing as an “overnight success.”  Work at your goals every single day, even if only for a couple of minutes.

Modify. Don’t get discouraged!  If something doesn’t work, be open and flexible.

“Nearly every glamorous, wealthy, successful career woman you might envy now started out as some kind of schlep.” - Helen Gurley Brown (Author, publisher and business woman)

“He who demands little gets it.” - Ellen Glasgow (Pulitzer prize winning novelist)

“Believe that you can, but plan.  It will not fall in your lap.” – Antonia Novello (first female surgeon general of the United States.)

While skipping around the internet the other day I came across a wonderful post about creating 10 goals for 2010.  Don’t ask me where I came across it (I am so ADD that way), only know that it made an impact on me.

I’ve already started on my list.

Does this type of thing interest you?  Could you benefit from creating this type of list?@N00/2182366965/">

I personally like the idea.  Not too many to overload me but just enough to keep me busy and focused.

If you put together a list like this on your blog or IRL, please let me know.  I’d love to support you in your goals.  I am a firm believer in accountability and motivating others to achieve their best.

When you think about it – 10 is totally do-able, no matter what your life circumstances.  So get motivated!