Making big dreams come true...

So, I've decided that officially this is the year that I make writing a serious priority. For several years now I have talked about it, worked on it sporadically, longingly dreamed of finding success, etc. What I haven't done is make it a high priority in my life and that is going to change. It is so easy to get caught up in the chaos of life and forget that we create our destiny - we make ourselves happy, we dictate we do and don't do, we ultimately pick ourselves up when we fall down. I am not a huge believer in New Year's Resolutions - perhaps because I have a hard time keeping them. Every year I say that I will lose weight, be healthier, spend more quality time with friends and loved ones, write more, learn to meditate....I always have the very best of intentions. Then, as the days turn into months a year goes by and I haven't managed to get out of my own way. The last sentence I typed is the key to the problem - I get in my own way. Sure, I could blame work - too many hours spent on things that truly could wait until tomorrow. I could blame the crowded gym or the cold temperatures in the room that holds my exercise bike. I could blame the endless papers I grade during the semester or the invitations to social and networking events that I can't make myself avoid. However, blame is not really all that healthy so I'll stop doing it. I need to get out of my own way and the best way I can think of to make that happen is to set priorities instead of resolutions and use those to help me stick to the things I want to accomplish. So, here are my three priorities for 2009... 1. Take good care of me. The goal of this one is to incorporate all the things that I previously mentioned and couldn't accomplish in past years because they didn't motivate me. Taking care of myself does motivate me and a natural extension of making myself a top priority is being healthier, spending time with the people that matter to me, creating a balance between life & work, etc. 2. Write it down. I can't even count how many nights I come up with great ideas while falling asleep or think of a great idea in the shower or while on the drive to work. Some of these ideas could be blogs, some could be class lecture topics, some could probably even be short story or book ideas. Each time I think, "I should write that down!" and I never make the follow-up a priority. By telling myself that the simple act of writing it down should be a priority, I hope that it sparks my passion and I keep at it. To start, I'll be carrying a notebook at all times and putting one at my bedside table -- sounds simple but it is a start! 3. Be financially healthy. Over the last few years I have worked very hard to pay off college debt, paid off my car, followed a budget, etc. By March of 2009, I should have paid off the last of my college credit card debt and opened an IRA. All very adult things to do now that I am 30! Between my full time job and teaching I should finally make enough over the next 6 months (assuming I stick to my budget!)to do some serious evaluating of my life goals, educational goals, savings goals, etc. and feel confident that if I desire to make changes I am financially healthy enough to do so. So, those are my priorities for 2009. They illustrate my attempt to turn my big giant long term wishes (ie. publish a book) in to smaller, accomplishable, short term goals & steps that will hopefully put me on the path to making my big giant dreams come true. Whatever your priorities & goals are for 2009, I wish you the very best of luck in achieving them!