Making New Year’s Resolutions is such a long-standing tradition we may not really think much about what it really means to resolve to do something…and then actually do it!

The word “resolution” has embedded in it the root word “resolute.”

Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary defines “resolute” as: “marked by firm determination: resolved: bold, steady.” The concept of “resolved” is defined as: “to reach a firm decision about: fixity of purpose.”

I know some of you are still fixated on the beginning of the last paragraph, and thinking, with amazement, “She has a copy of Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, and is actually referencing it for her blog in the last dwindling hours of 2010?”

Yes, I still have a hardback copy of that archaic manuscript..and I look at it from time to time when I want something solid and substantial to hold…and a quick definition.

So, back to the point. Resolutions are not to be taken lightly! Not if you value your integrity and your word!

A resolution is a promise.

A New Year’s Resolution is a promise you make to yourself. Promises are important to keep. They speak to your trustworthiness, and your willingness to do what you say you’ll  do.

I therefore believe that we need to think carefully about the promises we make for 2011.

Are you truly willing to keep the promises you make?

Do you know how to accomplish what you say you’ll accomplish?

Do you have the time, motivation, and energy for the promises you are making?

Are you clear about whether what you are promising to do is worth doing, or will it really matter to your life if you succeed?

My personal (and professional) opinion? If your New Year’s Resolutions have to do with getting rich or getting skinny, you may want to rethink it…

Not that these things wouldn’t make a change in your life. They probably would…but it might not be the glorious change you expect!

So, how about focusing on what is really, ultimately, universally important for all of us to focus on in our lives?

If you’ve read any of my blogs, you already know what I’m talking about!

Relationships! If your resolutions for 2011 have to do with improving your relationships with family, friends, and colleagues, then you can’t go wrong. Focusing on relationships is always time well spent…and promising ourselves to prioritize relationships is always a promise worth keeping!

And if you need help with this in 2011…let me know!

Happy New Year to you all!

Coach Char
Next In Life Coaching, LLC
“Never Retire Your Dream!”
www.nextinlifecoaching.com

I shop at Goodwill Stores. I am not shy about saying this…I consider it fun, thrifty, and a “green” thing to do. As I was shopping at one of these lovely establishments today, it occurred to me how much of a form of meditative practice it is. It is difficult to shop at Goodwill if you have a preconceived agenda regarding what you will find. It requires staying in the moment, in order to see what is there in a way that allows you to decide its potential usefulness…either in a creative sense, or a functional sense.

I am also amazed by how often I find just the perfect piece of clothing, in the right color, and often something that will match well with other things I already own. This only occurs, I suspect, because I keep my mind open and my judgments at bay. I, in effect, flow with the experience rather than holding preconceived ideas about what I want to find. This also happens when I need a picture frame to go with a watercolor painting after I complete the picture. I go to Goodwill, and a frame materializes that, when taken home, compliments the painting perfectly. You may be thinking I probably painted a picture which would go with that particular frame, or that any frame would do, but I have been told by others that it is remarkable how well matched the frame is to the particular painting that was just completed the day before shopping for the frame. I do believe in the concept of synchronicity, and I believe my experiences with Goodwill in this regard are evidence of synchronicity at work in the world!

I also believe that acceptance is the key to feeling satisfied in our lives, and Goodwill shopping helps me practice acceptance. If they don’t have a piece of clothing I like in my size, there is nothing to be done but to either feel a sense of resignation at the loss and to get discouraged, or to accept that I cannot have the piece of clothing and move on. With the practice of acceptance comes the possibility of seeing something else which might be just as wonderful!

Isn’t this the practice of life? I use my Goodwill shopping as a practice field for experiencing life in a way that allows me to feel good about what comes my way in my relationships and other life experiences, rather than choosing to feel bad when things don’t go my way. Try it and see!

Life is a puzzle…sometimes it feels complex and confusing, and sometimes so simple and unremarkable as to seem single faceted and uninteresting (ie: boring!)

Guidance and direction can be helpful in maneuvering through this adventure called life.

This can be especially true the closer we get to the time in our lives (age 50 ) when we contemplate what THE SECOND HALF of our lives will bring, as kids leave the home, as our own parents continue to age, and are perhaps in more need of our assistance and support, as we consider the possibility of stopping the work we are doing and begin to think about filling our days with new careers & passions long dormant…perhaps here-to-for alive only in our dreams , volunteer endeavors, hobbies, etc.

So much to think about!  So much potential for life transformation! WHAT A PERFECT TIME for a perfectly wonderful transformation!

I can help you navigate through it all and assist you in creating the life you want out of all the chaos, confusion, jumbled dreams, and myriads of possibilities, perceived obligations, emotionally draining beliefs about what is possible and what is impossible to attain for yourself before your life is over and done!

There are important aspects of life to consider as we move into this period of life. Let’s consider them one at a time…and see how they all fit into a retirement that brings joy and fullness to our lives!