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achievement, assessment, evaluation, getting serious, goals, habits, life, New Year, patterns, procrastination, success
Santa, I forgot my list, but I think I wanted focus and success this year. Image via Wikipedia
Tis the season for getting serious–about life, about relationships, about your career. Now is the time when people partying for a few weeks, then realize they wrecked their finances or their weight loss goals. This is where the promises begin to do better next year, amidst egg nog and hideous sweaters.
I read somewhere that men propose around the holidays as a last ditch attempt to get things done that they told themselves they would do this year (get engaged–check). I don’t know if that’s true, but I do know people have a tendency to try to squeeze every last thing they meant to do this year but haven’t into the month of December. We can be a nation of procrastinators.
I propose something slightly different. I am taking December to reassess, and I hope you will, too. It’s time to take stock: What did you do that you said you would? What didn’t you do? Where did you backslide?
Don’t do this in an attempt to “save the year”; this year has flatlined. Do this to refocus yourself, to make a plan for going forward. Put things in writing. Tell people about your goals and ask them to help you (but only ask people who can be helpful to you in achieving your goals). Take some time and evaluate the people that populate your world. Ask yourself “is this person necessary? What do they add to my life? Would my life be better without them?”
Most people love being carefree and having fun in December until after Christmas, then they get serious again until New Year’s Eve. After realizing it’s a new year, they make resolutions and go all out for a while, then burn out. It’s my belief that I succeed better when I don’t merely establish a goal, but a pattern, a habit. It makes achieving the goal effortless. If I’m establishing a pattern of going to the gym so many times a week, or taking a favorite class (they cancel the Wednesday class I loved 😦 It was the class I went to most often, too) instead of focusing on losing my stomach or how fat my stomach is, I have a better chance of succeeding.
Success is something I take one day at a time, but even so, you have to be able to look back and see progress, and if you can’t, then it’s time to do something different. Now. If you hurry, it will be a habit by New Year’s.
That’s my two cents. Leave yours.
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Indigo Moods 
I agree that now is the time to make the change. Waiting for the New Year is just putting everything off again. But…man…I do want to eat some bad food for Christmas 🙂
http://www.runtobefit.wordpress.com
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You should eat some, then! Everything in moderation. You can always work out a little more to make up the difference! 😀 Thanks for commenting!
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What have I done: started writing a hell of a lot more, become a better mom every day (or at least, tried) and worked tirelessly every day not to let the little things get me down.
What I still need to do: Ignore pretense, stay focused on my goal and pay more attention to me. I’ve kinda gotten lost in the shuffle.
Thanks for providing the inspiration to reassess. Tis the season indeed!
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I always feel lost in the shuffle, which is why I have to keep reminding myself that if I’m not taking care of myself, I won’t be here to make sure things get done. 😀
You’ve done an awful lot; hopefully, your momentum continues. Thanks for commenting!
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Great point! I’ve been thinking something very similar to this. Mostly about starting eating healthier BEFORE the new year. Get a jump start on the weight loss. It will take much self control this time of year though surrounded by holiday eating.
Other than that, I try to live everyday to its fullest and make the most out of life. Everyday distractions tend to make us forget how important it is.
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I agree with you that the everyday distractions can make us forget to make the most of the time we have and appreciate the moment.
Eating healthy now always sucks. I try to eat more vegetables than starches and get in a bit more exercise so I can have some of the goodies (in moderation of course) :D.
Thanks for commenting!
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Good thoughts. Perhaps this is why depression rises during this time, too, because after evaluating one’s life, they focus on what has not been accomplished. It’s good to be proactive. Nice post, and Merry Christmas!
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Yes, this is the time of year when we need to remember those who are prone to depression, especially the elderly. I wish that people would begin to celebrate what they’ve accomplished and make a plan of action on what they still have to work on rather than just giving up. We are all works in progress; no one has everything exactly right.
I really like your gravatar! Thanks so much for commenting!
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Congrats on being Freshly Pressed it’s a wonderful post. My resent post is reminiscing yours
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Thanks! I read your entry; yay for the weight maintenance 😀 boo for the debt 😦 I have a bit of that myself. But at least we acknowledge it and can start working on it, right?
Thanks for reading and commenting!
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You have a rare talent in your writing. The ability to let people close to your heart and center. It is a great gift. Thank you for sharing yourself, your life and your outlook. You make some great observations.
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Thanks! I really appreciate all the positive comments. Feel free to stop me when I get to TMI! Thanks for stopping by and commenting! 😀
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Well that just sucks the fun right out of Christmas doesn’t it?
I agree that doing things in a rush just to be able to say that you did them in 2010 is pretty silly, but I don’t think it is necessary to add “life issues” on top of the general stress of the season.
Chances are your life is going to be long – so you will have plenty of time to get your weight and money straigtened out.
And if you are killed by a bus tomorrow, you’ll be glad you didn’t waste what little time you had worrying about an extra inch on your waist.
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I don’t think this sucks the fun out of Christmas at all! I get to share how I’ve finally participated in NaNoWriMo and started going to the gym. Sure, there were things I didn’t accomplish, but I’ve identified them and formulated a plan to work on them, something I think people should do all the time.
The holidays are a time to celebrate, yes, but also a time to evaluate how you treat others and what legacy you would leave if you were hit by the aforementioned bus. If I were hit by a bus, I’d want to know I did all I could to be right with God, which is worth taking a break from the holiday cheer.
I admire your spirit laissez-faire and natural progression. If my suggestions don’t work for you, by all means do what does. Thanks for taking the time to read and consider my two cents. 😀
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Great to be re-grounded in thought especially in looking towards the New Year. Thanks for sharing and being the conduit in positive thinking.
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Whoo hoo! I’m a conduit of positive thinking! Whudda thunk it? 😀 It’s pretty important to always take a positive approach towards growth. Thanks for commenting!
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🙂 success, livin our life full and be happy 🙂 u’re rite we could be successful each and everyday! 😀
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Yes we can!:-) Don’t let anyone steal your positive outlook, or make you accept their definition of success. Continue living life to the fullest. 😀 Thanks for commmenting!
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good post/read. its never too late to save the rest of the year.
http://enjoibeing.wordpress.com/
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Nope, not at all. You can still achieve small goals and plan for future success! 😀 Thanks for commenting!
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Actually my two cents is not worth more than, well, two cents.
Great Post and Congrats on being Freshly Pressed.
Blessings,
Ava
xox
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Thanks!:D I’m sure you have two very shiny and new cents 😉 You’re always welcome to spend a little here. Thanks for commenting!
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I think goal setting is very important, but like you stated, making it a habit makes it easier to accomplish. I like working on things over time and making it apart of my everyday routine. Thanks for sharing!
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Yes. I am still trying to make things part of my routine and a force of habit, rather than conscious effort. I think the holidays is a great time to start, because you have your family to help and remind you (some may say nag you, but I’m looking at it as a positive :D). I hope all of the goals you set are on their way to becoming habits! Thanks for commenting!
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I have given up on new year resolutions a long time ago…lol.
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Actually, I don’t make resolutions either. I wrote a post about it last December. I actually choose a word that I aspire to apply to my life. This year’s word was accountability. I strove to hold myself more accountable and be more responsible. It’s a lot easier to work with than resolutions to lose so much weight or save so much money.
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Congrats on the Fresh Pressed!
For whatever reason my New Year resolutions never really turn out perfect. I just set myself goals throughout the year and try to achieve as many of them as possible. Even if it’s not always 100% – 25% is still more than nothing. 🙂
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Thanks!
Setting mini-goals is important for me, too. may not get the whole enchilada, but at least I’ve taken a bite out of it! As long as you are making progress and are farther along than when you started, I count that as a win!
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if you have a ‘resolution’ to make, make it whenever…not the holidays, not new years, whenever it is necessary.
http://dearexgirlfriend.com/
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I agree. I don’t really make resolutions, so much as goals and try to incorporate an idea into how I live my life. It’s important to keep revising the plan–keep evaluating and tweaking to fit where you are; good point.
Thank you so much for commenting 😀
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In December I’m applying to graduate schools. Honestly this was something I have been working toward all year, but I thought I would have had it done much sooner. Deadlines are at the end of the month though, so I’m still not too late. I just hope I can finish all five of the applications!
Crystal
www,crystalspins.com
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Oh, I always intend to do things much sooner, then look around and realize I’ve missed a bunch of those mini-goals and start to panic 🙂 This post is as much to me as to anyone else.
Five applications in a month! What program(s) are you applying for? Good luck on getting them in on time. I hope you have devised a new strategem on how to get through all of them!
Thanks for reading and commenting!
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Great article! I totally agree. We get into this rut of “all at once, or nothing at all.” Balance. There’s a way to strike it, I think. Thanks for the timely reminders. I’m going to do some accessing for sure!! Congrats on being Freshly Pressed.
Best,
dara
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“We get into this rut of ‘all at once, or nothing at all.'”
I really like that statement. I do feel people rush and get discouraged when they can’t complete a goal right away.
I preach Balance from the mountaintops myself, LOL. Work-life balance especially. Although, I find that it feeds my need to multi-task in an unhealthy way. I have to keep telling myself balance does not mean doing as many different things at one time as I possibly can. 🙂
Thanks for the congrats, and thanks for reading and commenting!
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Really appreciate this information. You’re right about not just setting a goal, making good habits makes the goal attainable. Thanks for posting!
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I’m glad you (and so many other people) have gotten something out of this that you can appreciate, and possibly use in future.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
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“Take some time and evaluate the people that populate your world. Ask yourself “is this person necessary? ”
Not sure if this was supposed to be funny, but I chuckled a little. Thanks for this post. I think people often focus on weight loss or finances for their yearly goals, forgetting that relationships are just as important!
http://www.cassiecares.com
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Relationships are very important, indeed! Many people don’t have people around that support their dreams and ideals, people that are positive influences. As a result, many people get mired in negativity and never achieve their real goals, only the smaller ones that should have led up to what they really wanted.
I was asking seriously if the person was necessary, but here’s my funny example: Friendship is like a purse, and every friend you have should be something that you need to carry with you. Clean out that junky purse! Take out all of those old receipts that tell you where you’ve been and not where you’re going, and the eight thousand mini packets of Kleenex you never use. LOL
Thanks for reading and commenting!
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Is this why I ran out and signed up for a photography course this month, finally, after twenty years? Perhaps subconsciously it was my attempt at saving the year…
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Wow, twenty years? If you were LeAnn Womack, you’d also have two ex-husbands, LOL!
I don’t think of anything that continues past the end of the year and that you’ve finally decided to do is saving the year. Saving the year is trying to hurry up and cross it off the list as if you’re competing with the clock. You’re not enjoying it, and maybe you don’t know why you wanted to do it in the first place; it’s just something you told yourself you’d do this year.
Good luck with your photography class! Stick with it, and share some pictures with me! 😀
Thanks for reading and commenting!
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What a great outlook! I consider my birthday as the beginning of my new year. Partying can be fun, but I like your idea of reflecting over the holidays. Perhaps a less stressful way to look at resolutions is to identify an attitude, intention, or energy that we’d like to embody in the new year rather than a check list of things we must complete. Have a great new year!
Asante http://www.BlissBellyKitchen.wordpress.com
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I actually consider my birthday to be the start of my new year as well! (It used to be the start of the new school year, but those days are long gone!:D) I usually aspire to identify a word and focus on that a little each day. One year it was ameliorate–to make better. Anything that made me better counted as an achievement.
Happy holidays and thanks for commenting!
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Good post and good reminder. I worked hard to have new habits that are now old hat. I wonder what else I can improve on.
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Congratulations on developing those habits! I’m sure you can find more ways to improve and areas that need improvement. Once you fix all the major things, it can be fun to root out those little problem areas and fix them up. We are like houses; the minute you fix one thing, another gets broken, LOL. But if we were perfect, what would we do with our time?
Thanks for reading and commenting!
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Pingback: The Season for Getting Serious « Santa's Diary
This is a great take on the traditional New Year’s Resolutions. Congratulations on getting Freshly Pressed!
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Thank you! I’m all about the twist! 😀 Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
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Each year, I write a Letter of Committment. It works for me. I’ll be doing a post about that. Many congrats on being FP.
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A Letter of Commitment? I’ve never heard of that one. I’ll be on the lookout for your post. That sounds very intriguing.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
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I like this idea…a commitment, NOT a goal. I want to read more…I want to call friends more…this is a wonderful idea, something that I’ve been trying to do in my own blog. Congrats on being FP, and Merry Christmas!
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We all seem to want to read more–why is that? I think because it’s something we do for ourselves, it’s indicative of how we are neglecting ourselves and what feeds and nourishes our spirits. I think they should institute D.E.A.R. for adults to (Drop Everything and Read):D
Merry Christmas! Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
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Definitely time to take stock, but then there’s the inevitable lack of remorse for the things you have or haven’t done with your year because there’s too many distracting Xmas things going on around you!
These are harsh times…
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Truly they are, LOL! But oh how we feel the remorse after the holidays are over– buyer’s remorse, eating remorse, hangovers…Hopefully a little thoughtful evaluation won’t spoil all your fun. I like to just look over at my loved ones and think “Yeah. It’s a blessing I still had them another year.” It can be just a moment, like that. Plenty of time to still enjoying all the Christmas things.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
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This is something I try to do periodically, not just at the end of the year. The world and circumstances keep changing and making this a necessity. And, sometimes, I have to shift my goals around, depending on which one needs to take priority.
It’s great to use the New Year as a motivational tool to make you take stock of your life and get back on track, if it’s helpful to you. I like the idea of getting a head start on what you want to accomplish and taking the time to think about how you will get there. Definitely don’t let this be a once-a-year thing, though. Do it whenever your life needs it to be done.
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Prioritizing is so important. All goals are not created equal.
Things change so rapidly, we always need to access. I try to check in at least bi-weekly with my goals. I make the big ones for the year and little ones to keep me focused and moving forward.
You brought out some really great points. Thanks! 😀
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Great idea, I’ve been doing these things for a while, now! Dumping people who are “no value added”. Doing all the Dr. stuff you really don’t want to do, etc. Might as well do it before the year is over and start a Happy, Healthy New year! Trim the friends on Facebook to REAL friends, etc. Take stock of whats REALLY important, it makes life easier, GREAT Ideas! Thanks for sharing! Merry Christmas, Congrats on being Freshly Pressed!
evelyngarone.com
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Oh, I forgot about the Dr. stuff–have to rush out and do that to save my year! 😀
Facebook is a monster that is so out of control I wouldn’t know where to begin trimming it down. I think since I’m not on it as much and changed my privacy settings, I’m doing OK.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
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Perfectly timed post. Congrats on being fresh pressed as well. Cheers~
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Thanks! 😀 I’m staggered by how many people can relate to this and appreciate the post. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
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This was enjoyable to read.
Last year I spontaneously “saved the year” and seemed to be more productive in December than the entire previous months. Resolutions and goals don’t work well for me. What works better is the concept of carefully choosing a word-of-the-year that’s important to me and can adapt and color all my changing goals and impulses. Last year, my word was “self-love” which balanced a multitude of inadequacies and awkwardness.
This year, the word is definitely ‘Sustainable”.
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I pick a word of the year, too! Really. You can read about it in my Jan. 2 post, I believe. I made goals based on the word. It was “accountability” (not to say I was very accountable in some areas, but I have grown a lot in that area). I know the word for this year, but I’m going to wait until after Christmas to share. 😀
Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
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OH.EM.SHIZZLES. I love this. I absolutely love this. Well, this might have been great inspiration earlier in the semester, but it’ll still last til next semester! LOL I bookmarked the page, so when I need a bit of a pick-me-up, I shall come back. Thanks for the inspiration!
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I was a master procrastinator when I was in school…I think I “saved” every semester at the last minute the first two years. Don’t be like me then: it’s much easier to pace yourself (not that I’m…preaching or teaching; just my own regrets talking :D)
I’m glad you found this inspiring. Thanks for reading and commenting!
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Great post! I especially agree with “taking inventory” of the people in our circle. The people we call our friends can either impact us in a positive way–or negative way. Thus, I always try to be conscious of the impact a person may have towards my own decisions. Thanks again and congrats on Freshly Pressed! LB
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All the people we allow into our lives definitely have an impact. I’m glad you’ve been conscious of it and proactive in dealing with people.
Thanks for taking the time to coment!
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Excellent simplification of a common and thorny problem!
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Thanks! I appreciate the compliment! Thanks for reading and commenting. 😀
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Yay! Love this post. I’m great for berating myself, expecially this time of year. Believe me, I’m already re-vamping next year’s resolution list. The same thing pops up every year, like being able to do a full middle split. There are new things – get nose pierced. I kid, I kid – but not about liking your post. Happy Holidays!
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I’m definitely a berater when I don’t take the time to re-evaluate my goals and if they’re really worth the effort to attempt them again.
I would never put being able to do a full middle split on my list (wink); I’d never cross it off, and that would make me feel bad.
Thanks for reading and commenting! 😀
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I’ve needed that mental push. Thanks 🙂
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You’re welcome! 😀 Anytime you need pushing again, let me know; I’ll be happy to help (LOL). Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
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Great post. December for me is a time to reassess, take stock of the year – what has been accomplished and learned. On the eve of the New Year I look forward and set an intention for the upcoming year.. avoiding the traditional resolutions.
Again, great post! and Congrats on being freshly pressed!
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I’m seeing a theme here: people are moving away from the limitations of traditional resolutions. I’m all for anything that advances people and allows them to keep moving forward.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
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I love this…every point made is a valid one. People really do need to refocus this time of the year!!!! Happy Holidays!
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Happy holidays to you to! 😀 Thanks for reading and commenting!
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It’s my belief that I succeed better when I don’t merely establish a goal, but a pattern, a habit. It makes achieving the goal effortless.
i love this one
and i hope i can keep a good habit from now
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Establishing patterns definitely make things easier, but habits take time and effort. I’m sure once you identify what you want to do and what habits you need to develop, you’ll be able to keep the habit going. It may be helpful to have an accountability partner as well.
Thanks for reading and stopping by! 😀
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Very inspiring and well-written! It sure is hard to slow down in December and think about yourself, but it’s essential. Great advice. I have changes to make.
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It’s essential to think about yourself and keep yourself up. Nothing you do runs without you! Thanks for reading and commenting! 😀
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Interesting to note that some take the season for getting serious about life, instead of partying. Perhaps its the religious meaning behind the season that they understand. What would be your reaction about alternate views on Jesus such as http://bit.ly/dGPbQ3
Thanks for sharing the essay!
Regards
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I think the religious connotations are a part of it for some people–rededication surges at the beginning of each year. It’s certainly a time to evaluate all the blessings God has given you. But I think people should be serious about their lives all the time. You can have fun and live life to the fullest without losing site of your goals and personal growth.
My religious views are chronicled pretty extensively hear. I merely share my point of view with others and allow people to decide what they truly believe. I welcome different perspectives and religious views, but they don’t much change how I view what I believe.
Thanks for reading and commenting! 😀
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I’m a crammer. I always was. I try to do everything I meant to do this year into December and November, and that includes returning overdue library books! The only time I do slow down is around Christmas.
Ashley
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How well does that work for you? I used to be a crammer, but I got burned out. It was fun and exciting and I felt like I was this superwoman for a while, but afterwards I’d be drained. Turn in those library books! 😀
Thanks for reading and commenting!
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Excellent.
Very sound advice. This has made my day.
Thank you!
Best Wishes
x
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Best wishes to you too! I’m glad I could make your day. Thanks for reading and commenting! 😀
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Dead on! Every word makes sense. Thanks.
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Thank you 🙂
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