I started off 2013 wearing an orthopedic boot due to a broken ankle. The year ends with me knowing that I am more resilient, courageous, adventurous, creative and authentic than I thought I was one year ago. I know that “no” is a perfectly acceptable response to a request. I know that who you call your family doesn’t always share your DNA. I know that death will make you take stock of your life and wonder if the life you are living is worth celebrating when you are no longer here. I know that listening to the viewpoints of others will help you get clarity. I know that I don’t like to be put into a box with a singular definition of who I am.
One year ago, I didn’t know that I would share the draft of a book that I’ve been living with for the past seven years with complete strangers. I didn’t know that I would be unapologetic about who I am and what makes me happy. I didn’t know that I would slowly begin to care less about what people think of me.
As 2013 comes to a close, I don’t have any resolutions. I have goals with milestones, accountability partners and deadlines. My list is not pie in the sky, it’s realistic and completely attainable. However, it will require focus, dedication and having patience with myself. The people I surround myself with will have to be supporters of at least one of these goals. If not, they will be a distraction and I’m not wasting another year on things or people that take me further away from where I want to be.
In no particular order, here are my goals for 2014 (and their current status). I’m willing to be completely transparent on my progress and open to a swift, but gentle kick in the pants when I need it:
- Complete the manuscript to my first novel (28 chapters have been completed).
- Host my first “Work Your Package™” event (tentative month for the event is April 2014).
- Complete a draft for “Work Your Package™” book/workbook with audio (have a skeleton for the draft, need to approach collaborators).
- Commit to taking better care of myself by going to the gym regularly (2 to 3 times a week) and making better food choices (renewed gym membership at job and gave up soda)
- Declutter all the rooms in my home and have a yard sale (need to create a room-by-room schedule).
- Eliminate credit card debt, one stinking credit card at a time (I know how much I owe and what I have to eliminate from my budget).
What are your goals for 2014? Do you have someone to be accountable to? Do you have a Board of Directors in place? I have a friend who is an amazing writer. They write thought-provoking pieces that linger with you long after your eyes are no longer reading the words. I gave them a journal with a note that said, “Stop making the world wait to hear your story.”
What’s your story? Make 2014 the year the world hears it.
