Finish the Year Strong

This is the perfect time of year to check in on your 2008 New Year’s Resolutions (if you’ve forgotten yours, 54 comments on this post may remind you). The lull between summer and the impending holiday rush is an ideal moment to take stock in how 2008 has gone for you. It’s the season to make small course corrections and continue to work towards fulfilling your dreams.

If you’re feeling foolish because you’ve hardly made a dent in those dreams and ambitions from January 1, take heart because you’re not alone. Most New Year’s Resolutions don’t make it past the first month, let along tag along through the chaos of the entire year. It’s okay to change your goals, to make them more manageable or shift them to fit changes in your life. Just take your goal list out and make sure that you’re actively working on it. It’s permissble to change your goals to make them mesh with your current reality. I had to.

One goal I had this year was to start an Otion II in Seattle. I diligently pursued this: I hired a real estate broker, did the demographic research, lined up financing, spent time walking top neighborhoods and ultimately, negotiated two leases in different neighborhoods. Unfortunately, both of those leases fell through. I was bitterly disapointed and vowed to start over. And then, the markets did their loop-de-loop and financing dried up for Otion II. This goal needs to be changed to reflect the current business climate we’re in. So, I spent this afternoon changing that business focus. I’m going to take the time I was spending on Otion II and devote it to pushing through a website redesign with a smarter shopping cart.

The secret to success in anything is relentless pursuit of your goals, small baby steps at a time. So, sit down, take out that list and get re-energized about your dreams and ambitions. It’s important to finish this year strong so that you head into 2009 with some serious momentum.

PS – The Calender pictured up top is available for $10 from Perfect Laughter here.