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January 2010 archive

How Can I Start 2010 Off on a Positive Note?

Q:   Dear Seymour, 2009 was a difficult year. How can I begin 2010 on a more positive note?

- Submitted by Callie Simms, Tucson, Arizona

A: Dear Callie,

2009 was a tough year in a lot of ways for a lot of people. The economy was turbulent, job status was uncertain for nearly everyone and morale was low across the board. However, a new year can be a great way towards a new beginning and new attitude. If the calendar year can change, why can't you?

Clean up, clean out.
Space and environments are very important factors in attitude and personal morale. Look around your work space and evaluate it. What's there, and why is it there? Does everything have a purpose? If something doesn't work for you, purge it. Do the things in your space promote functional working, positive attitude and a healthy sense of well being? Get rid of trash, clutter, and depressing, unnecessary objects and only add things that are functional, inspirational, or positive.

Try a Feng Shui attack.
Many people have a goal to learn something new in the New Year. A great place to start is by picking up some principles of Feng Shui, a Chinese practice designed to harmonize your space with the way you want to live, work and play. There are tons of resources on Feng Shui, but a great starting reference for work spaces is Office Feng Shui by Darrin Zeer, which gives interesting, brief overviews of concepts and how to apply them. It's even available in a full version for free on GoogleBooks!

Evaluate yourself.
In the same way you examine your office, examine yourself. Are there personal qualities you want to change or modify? Are there issues you are better off purging instead of dwelling on? Take some time to think about whom you are and then take even more time to determine who you want to be or what you want to do. Knowing your goals is the first step to reaching them.

Write it down.
Document your thoughts and goals to stay organized and hold yourself accountable. Consider keeping a journal, however brief or long, with entries that help you track your progress. This will help you notice patterns as well as progress. You may not always feel like you're making progress, but the journal will probably tell you otherwise and encourage you to keep going.

The New Year is a good time to examine your life and decide what you want. If you want to be more educated, then figure out how to do it and get started. If you want a new career, go for it. If you want to be different, then decide to be different and act accordingly. You can do it.

Seymour