2010 is coming, ready or not!  Wouldn’t it be much better to be ready than not?!

Here is a great way to celebrate your accomplishments in 2009 (what better way to start 2010?) and to start thinking about 2010 in a way that begins setting an intention for the year:  just use the following questions as guidelines.

1.  What three things are you proudest of accomplishing this year?  They can be small or large, just for you or for your larger community.  Zeroing in on just three things (because I know you have more than that), also helps you begin to focus on what you want to accomplish in 2010.

2.  What one thing do you want to accomplish in 2010 – what one thing do you want to have gotten well into the process of or completed by this time in 2010?  This can be your major priority for the year, or if it feels a bit daunting to put it on paper, put one of your minor priorities down.  But if you list your major priority, you may be surprised how, in just the few short weeks from now until January 1, things start moving you toward that accomplishment.  Getting clear on what you want and then writing it down and saying it out loud make the Universe move in ways you can’t expect or explain.  You do not have to know “how” you’re going to get where you’re going.  You just have to be really clear on “what.”  “By when” is also helpful.  If you’ve never done this before, it may be a bit scarey.  That’s okay.  do it anyways.

3.  Now that you know where you’re going, what is the one word that you can put on your computer, write on a note and keep your pocket or purse, write in the sand when you’re at the beach, spell out in rocks along a mountain trail?  What is the one word that feels just right to get your process going and help you remember all year long what it is you are about for 2010?  If it takes a few days, or a week to think of this word, that is just fine.

4.  Now take a minute to come back here and leave a comment that answers these questions so that the Universe, your subconscious and the rest of the world can join with you in your intention.  There is nothing – absolutely NOTHING – better than a community around you rooting for you – even if you never meet them.

Here are my answers:

1. My three best things this year:

(a)being present for the birth of my granddaughter, holding her when she was just minutes old, watching her grab my little finger and perk up like:  “What’s this?” – just minutes old and she already couldn’t wait to explore her new world!

(b) Stepping into my fear of failure and fear of not failing (same thing!) by an on-line business program.  That program has changed my view of myself and what I can accomplish – and paying the money it cost scared me to death!  But I did it anyway because it was time to step out of my comfort zone and doing what I always do and to step fully into the unknown.  So I did.  I invested in myself – the best investment any solopreneur can make!

(c) adding to my creative skills by setting up a lampworking studio and learning how to make beads and small sculptures.  My glass focus didn’t stop there.  I also learned to fuse glass, make armatures out of clay, and slump glass torsos.  I will continue to work with beads, but probably not the glass slumping.  And I’m okay with the fact that I invested in learning what will and won’t work for my business going forward, that some investments are to learn what won’t go forward.

(d) celebrating my son’s 18months of sobriety (yes – that’s 4 – and here’s 5:  learn to break the rules, usually your own or someone else’s if they are arbitrary.  and my “name 3 things” is totally arbitrary).

2.  What’s new for 2010? A full year of investing in myself by signing up for a coaching group.  I am so excited I can barely wait!  And just knowing I have someone to support my visions and hold me accountable to what I say I want to do has me fully focused right now and moving forward in ways I would never have thought possible. [mide-year 2010 note:  alas, group coaching seems to be more about what the coach wants to teach than about my specifics, so that went away by June.  Meanwhile, I’ve started coaching others myself, and give them what I wanted, one-on-one, affordably!  And I’m open to finding that for myself!  I’ll know it when I see it because I had it once when learning community-based organizing.  Didn’t know how good that was until I measure others against it.)

And celebrating my 25th wedding anniversary on Valentine’s Day.  Call us romantics and color us still in love.

3.  My word for 2010 is extraordinary:  that would be both me and my business.

You are invited to come along for the ride!  If you haven’t already, sign up in the box over my picture to see how both I and my business grow this year (I’m sure you will pick up some tips along the way!)

Speaking of trying new things:  I’m still working on my website and expect it may go dark as we change a few things  sometime around Dec 24 – 27.  If that happens, just be aware that is it a growing pain.

Wylde Women’s Wisdom: The real work in raising the bar is to stop doing the same old thing you’ve always done, to try out new strategies, to ignore false alarms, to resist the urge to quit, and to refuse to fall back into familiar terrain.  The ability to tolerate discomfort – doing what might not feel good, but doing it anyway, is the only  way you’ll every complete the path to financial success.  it helps to keep in mind that the discomfort is temporary, but the payoff is extraordinary. Barbara Stanny, Secrets of Six-Figure women:  Surprising strategies to Up Your Earnings and Change Your Life (italics in original, bold added)