HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

It was a most wonderful first day of 2008! It was nice to have a day off work and do a little of this and a little of that - the sun was shining and it was a beautiful day. I have to admit that I ushered in the new year ASLEEP! I had had some plans but they got cancelled at the last minute and I think it was meant to be. I was in bed by 8 - oh, my!

Since I went to sleep so early, I was up before dawn and decided to take some advice of a dear friend. My friend has been in my life for 3+ years. I met her when I dabbled in real estate after the Aleene's magazine was cancelled. She is very relaxed, very intelligent, very intuitive and someone who is always there when you need her to be. She is one of the top real estate agents on the Central Coast of California - from Paso Robles to Santa Barbara. We only email or chat a couple times a year but I also know that if I picked up the phone right now she would be there for me. I am always in awe of her wisdom and her knowledge about women, relationships, and what someone 'should do' in any situation. Never pushy, just always right on.

She shared a quote from Morgan Freeman's character in a movie. He said, "Before Buddhists get into Heaven they are asked two questions. One, did you have joy in your life? And two, did you bring joy to others?" This made such an impact on Pam that her new year's resolution intention is to 'bring joy to others, which will make me joyful'. That's my friend.

My friend's intent is to make 2008 the best year, personally and professionally. She challenged me to do the same. What a challenge, but I'm up for it - how about you?

She was there for me at the beginning of a very traumatic and life changing experience that started 3+ years ago. She knows the things I've been through, the challenges I have faced and the challenges I am now facing.

Once again, she challenged me and that is how I spent the first few hours of 2008. I share her thoughts with you in that you may take a few moments and think about these very things that I did this morning.

Write down your goals, the activities you want to do, how you want your home to be, what you want for a career, how you want your finances - picture it all, write it down, cut out photos and put them where you can look at them every day (she didn't know I was already working on this). Then, write a story in the present tense about all you've thought about and read it every day and 'then start building your bridge, watch, it will come true...I tell you 2008 it's gonna be a great year...Happy New Year to us all!'

I wrote and wrote and wrote some more. My hand cramped, but I kept writing and suddenly I was done. I put my 'story' in my new 2008 notebook where I will have it at hand to read every day. Reading through it after I was done, I just sat and smiled - I finally had a feeling of some kind of direction in my life.

I do want to be organized and more in control of my life. So, several days ago, I started a 2008 notebook. Here's what is inside.


Inside Pocket - holds my 2008 calendar where I keep all my appointments. Below the pocket I put in a definition of success - the achievement of one's goals; series of accomplishments. It also holds my daily to do list that's divided in three and 1/2 columns - COMPUTER, TO DO, CALLS AND OUT (calls and out share a column). COMPUTER is where I list all the things I want to do on the computer - mainly search things on the internet or print out a document...I put the OUT section at the bottom of the page so I can tear or cut it off and take it shopping with me...yes, I've thought about this for a long, long time!

Hole Punch - the next item is a hole punch at the ready to add those important papers as I get them

Plastic Pocket - a plastic pocket holds coupons and items I need to act on this week

To Do Tab - I got colored plastic tabs with pockets in the front (nice to keep things I need immediately). Inside the pocket I put my New Year's Resolution (my little secret)

Short Term Tab - here's where I keep a list of my goals for the next 3 months - everything from starting a holiday saving account (I'm going to use it to transfer money for gifts, car insurance, stuff that surprises me when it comes due). Also, I finished the first chapter of the Suze Orman's book Women & Money and I copied the checklist from the book and put it in there - it's a 5 months process, so I'll change it out every month

Long Term Tab - Things I want to accomplish this year (I'm sure this section will change as the year evolves!)

Account Balances Tab- I have an account balance sheet for my checking and savings accounts, a sheet for my expenses, and since I'm trying to control where my money goes, I put in a sheet for Money Saved - so far today I've saved $30 - I did my own pedicure! I also have an Income sheet - I want to keep track of how much money comes in. Since vacations are a priority for me, I have a Vacation sheet and I'm going to send money every month to an account I have out of town so I'm not tempted to use the money for other things.

Ideas Tab - It's hard to keep track of all those ideas that float around in my head, so I have a sheet for Ideas. I also thought about what it would mean to me to have these ideas move forward and to accomplish them and that is freedom, so I wrote FREEDOM at the bottom of the page.

Ponder Tab - I read somewhere recently about all the reasons people use to not do something. This particular case it was why single women over 50 don't travel alone, so they posed a question 'If I got hit by a bus tomorrow, where would I regret not traveling?' So I wrote that question on my Ponder page and wrote down my answers. I've added several blank pages to this tabbed section to write down things as they come to me.

Well, that's it for my tabs and I see there's one blank tab left. If I know me, I'll be putting something in there real soon.

As my friend said 'Happy New Year to us all!' Yes, Happy New Year to us all!

Joan

P.S. A couple other things I worked on today - my Wish Board - I glued on a house that intrigued me and a wrought iron bed I absolutely love!

Oh, I found this heart with a saying in it from a scrapbook from my college days over 30 years ago (gulp!) As I mentioned before, I'm trying to get my immune system back up to par and I want to remember to take my vitamins - I put 7 days worth of vitamins (those lovely little packets from COSTCO) in a pretty glass and then put the saying in with it. I truly wish I could remember who gave me the saying, but I truly don't.

Again, happy new year! Make it your best year EVER!