I RESOLVE TO . . .

New Year, What We Eat -

"People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas."

Author Unknown - From Quotegarden

One Resolution -

"One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this:  To rise above the little things."

John Burroughs - From Quotegarden

San Francisco Chronicle Tips For Small Business Owners Making New Year Resolutions

New Year Resolutions come in all shapes and sizes just like their owners and authors.  The New Year is a wonderful opportunity to make and keep personal resolutions and business resolutions.  I scour news articles and blog posts every day looking for interesting news and information that can be used to fuel the fire of dreams, resolutions and daily goals.  The San Francisco Chronicle ran an infomative story that lends inspiration to small business owners - and perhaps some prospective 'small business owners', as well, who dream about starting a business.  Click here to read the full article:  SFCBizTips.pdf

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Need More Inspiration?  Wear Your Resolution!  Make Every Day New Year's Day.  Make Every Day Count.  Visit my resolution shop by clicking this link:  http://www.cafepress.com/iresolveto

Kim M. Simpson - December 30, 2007
Copyright © I Resolve To™ . . . * All Rights Reserved

Good New Year Resolutions -

"Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account."

  Oscar Wilde - From Quotegarden

City of Sydney Survey - New Year Resolutions

The Sydney Morning Herald in Syndey, New South Wales Australia, ran an interesting article about a City of Sydney Survey on New Year Resolutions.  Not suprisingly, 'Lose Weight And Be Healthier' ranks number one on the list, followed by 'Lead A Greener Lifesyle' in the number two spot.  In the number three, four and five slots, respectively:  'Pay off Credit Card Debt, Quit Smoking and Donate To Charity'.

According to the Morning Herald article, the Pureprofile research surveyed more than 300 people in New South Wales between December 21 and December 24.  To read the full article click this link: CityofSydneySurvey.pdf

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Need More Inspiration?  Wear Your Resolution!  Make Every Day New Year's Day.  Make Every Day Count.  Visit my resolution shop by clicking this link:  http://www.cafepress.com/iresolveto

Kim M. Simpson - December 29, 2007
Copyright © I Resolve To™ . . . * All Rights Reserved

UK New Year Resolution Study Results Released

The BBC is reporting that a UK university study found that only 12% of 3,000 participants kept their resolutions throughout all 12 months in 2007.  The study was performed by Professor Richard Wiseman who is based at the University of Hertfordshire.  According to the BBC article, the study suggests that men should set specific goals and women should tell the world about their resolution if they want to succeed.  The study also suggests that it is important 'not to wait until New Year's Eve to make the resolution'.

To read the full BBC article, click here:  BBCResolutionStudy.pdf 

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Need More Inspiration?  Wear Your Resolution!  Make Every Day New Year's Day.  Make Every Day Count.  Visit my resolution shop by clicking this link:  http://www.cafepress.com/iresolveto

Kim M. Simpson - December 28, 2007
Copyright © I Resolve To™ . . . * All Rights Reserved

New Year Potential -

"We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched.  Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential."

Ellen Goodman - From Quotegarden

No Resolutions For The New Year -

"I made no resolutions for the New Year.  The habit of making plans, of criticizing, sanctioning and molding my life, is too much of a daily event for me." 

Anaïs Nin - From Quotegarden

New Year's Eve -

"Every man regards his own life as the New Year's Eve of time." 

Jean Paul Richter - From Quotegarden

New Year Improvements -

"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man." 

Benjamin Franklin  - From Quotegarden

New Year, Year's End -

"Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us."

Hal Borland - From Quotegarden

New Year's Day -

"New Year's Day is every man's birthday. "

Charles Lamb - From Quotegarden

I Resolve To™ . . . Take Positive Steps Toward My Dreams! - Day 357

The New Year is right around the corner!  In just nine days New Year revelers will mark the passage of time - ring in the New Year and ring out the old with celebration and perhaps some introspection.  If you want successfully achieve a dream, resolution and daily goals in 2008 - reflection and introspection now, at the end of 2007 is very important.  Rather than making a hasty list of resolutions at the stroke of midnight, with little forethought, why not begin brainstorming today about what you would truly love to achieve in 2008.  Whether 2007 was a great year or perhaps a mediocre one, no matter, it's almost time to wipe the slate clean, and start anew. 

With that in mind, as you mull all the many things, large and small, that you would love to do, achieve, learn, create, see, be, have, feel, experience in this lifetime - it's also important to think about the 'who, what, when, where, why, and how' involved in making and keeping that resolution.  Making and keeping resolutions requires much more than a wish, a hope, and a notation on the back of a cocktail napkin on New Year's Eve.

If you truly want to make and keep a New Year Resolution, have no fear - it doesn't have to die sudden death mid-January.  The right resolution - one about which you have great desire, passion, and interest - and the right approach, system, and attitude can bring you success in 2008.  In addition to brainstorming about the 'right resolution for you' - consider these Do's and Don'ts:

I Resolve To . . . Do's:

1. Dare To Dream about all the wonderful possibilities.
2. Decide To 'Go For It' in the New Year.
3. Define your dream in one specific sentence that answers 'what and why'.
4. Develop A Plan that includes short and long range goals, timelines, milestones, and answers the question' who, what, and how'.
5. Do It Daily, one goal, one day at a time for one year.
6. Make just one large, life-altering resolution, not 10 major resolutions.
7. Make just one large, life-altering resolution about which you have great desire and passion.
8. Focus like a laser on that one resolution.
9. Make a few mini-resolutions to keep things interesting, and keep the momentum going.
10. Keep a Daily Resolution Diary that meaures progress, charts next steps and rewards.
11. Maintain a 12-month calendar to schedule daily goals, track milestones, and map your plan.
12. Set deadlines for goals, but don't beat yourself up if you fall behind - revise plans instead.
13. Be realistic about what you can achieve each day, week, month - set realistic goals.
14. Visualize the desired outcome, make it a priority, keep it front and center.
15. Wear your resolution, tape it to your mirror, carry it in your wallet, put it on your screensaver.
16. Enlist the support of friends and family members.
17. Tell the world!
18. Do your homework:  Knowledge is power and continual learning will promote progress.
19. As plans change review the 'who, what, why, when, where, and how'.
20. Be flexible and willing to make course corrections.
21. Think ahead and plan for obstacles - brainstorm a way around.
22. Life is full of 'Overtaken By Events' - OBE - be flexible, prepared, and willing to compromise.
23. Believe in yourself, your talents, abilities, and your dream, resolution and daily goals.
24. Stay focused - keep your eye on the prize, what you plan to achieve, at all times.
25. Find a mentor who can lend support, advice, and leadership through rough times.
26. Join a club - surround yourself with folks who share your passion and can lend motivation.
27. Take a class - increase your knowledge.
28. Start a blog - write daily; build or join a community filled with like-minded folks.
29. Be a mentor - learn by doing, teaching, leading by example.
30. Just show up - some days just showing up is all it takes make progress, build momentum.
31. Get organized, stay organized.
32. Be patient, passionate and persistent.
33. Remind yourself about your accomplishments and reward yourself.
34. Remember some daily progress is better than 'no progress' or not pursuing your dream at all.
35. Know your strengths and use them. 
36. Know your weaknessess and learn how to overcome them.
37. Be willing to work hard and stay committed through good times and bad times.
38. Have fun, enjoy the journey.
39. Be grateful for all you have, all you are - give back!
40. Be determined and diligent - stay positive and maintain your optimism.
41. Be a Resolutionista:  Make resolutions, keep resolutions, enjoy the journey!
42. Do what you love, love what you do.

I Resolve To . . . Don'ts:

1. Procrastinate.
2. Give in to fear of success or fear of failure.
3. Get overwhelmed or discouraged by setbacks.
4. Grow weary, bored, or burned out.
5. Give Up!
6. Make a long laundry list of things that you feel you should change, but lack desire to make them a reality.
7. Make a resolution for someone else.
8. Make the same resolutions year after year with zero progress.
9. Set the bar too high by having unrealistic expectations.
10. Beat yourself up for mistakes, unrealistic expectations and unrealistic goals.
11. View failure as a negative experience:  grow and learn from it, then move forward.
12. Expect something for nothing - gain with no pain.
13. Go it alone.
14. Let bad attitude stand in your way - think about your moods and actions.
15. Check-In infrequently - failing to track progress, milestones, and timeline deadlines.
16. Set unrealistic daily, weekly, and monthly goals.
17. Lose motivation and momentum - plan ahead.
18. Lose focus, flexibility, or faith in yourself and your dream, resolution, goals.
19. Lost patience, passion, persistence, or your positive attitude.
20. Forget your primary objective - 'why' you're pursuing your dream, resolution, goals.
21. Expect overnight results.
22. View your dreams, resolutions and goals as a chore.
23. Let negative friends, family members, colleagues stand in your way - find a way around.
24. Let obstacles stand in your way - know when you are creating obstacles.
25. Live a life of regret for what you could have done, achieve, created, been, experienced.
26. Let anyone tell you, you can't achieve your dream.
27. Lose your 'fire in the belly'.

There's plenty of time between now and New Year's Day 2008.  Start dreaming, planning, plotting, and brainstorming about your resolution.  Pull out your journal, review your Lifetime Resolutions, and choose the one that will add joy and reward to your days!

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Need More Inspiration?  Wear Your Resolution!  Make Every Day New Year's Day.  Make Every Day Count.  Visit my resolution shop by clicking this link:  http://www.cafepress.com/iresolveto

Kim M. Simpson - December 23, 2007
Copyright © I Resolve To™ . . . * All Rights Reserved

Ring Out The Old, Ring In The New -

"Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true."

Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1850 - From Quotegarden

I Resolve To™ . . . . Plot My Course For 2008! - Day 356

Just 10 days until New Year's Day!!  Are you ready to take a look back at what you have accomplished in 2007 and take a look forward at what you plan to accomplish in 2008?  Are you ready to make 2008 better than 2007?  If you really want to make and keep a New Year resolution don't put it off until the last minute. Don't make a hasty, champagne-induced list on the back of a bar napkin at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve.  Start today.  Begin dreaming and brainstorming about what you'd love to achieve, create, experience, be, learn, do, feel, see, or have in the New Year! 

Clarity of thought and purpose will enable you to take a dream from start to finish, turn a resolution into reality and make a goal happen.  When you know 'what you want to achieve', 'why you want to achieve it', and 'how you're going to achieve it' it takes the guess work out of daily activities.  Planning and forethought are vitally important 'first steps' if you want to achieve a dream, replace a bad habit with a good one, learn something new, create or achieve something.  When you have a plan and a process by which you can systematically approach your activities anything is possible! 

As a starting point, consider the I Resolve To Formula.  It is a simple, common sense way to begin the process:  Start with a cherished dream, one in which you have enormous desire and interest.  Turn that dream into a specific, one-sentence resolution.  Make that resolution a reality with daily goals that can be achieved one at a time, one day at a time.

Dream + Resolution + Daily Goals = Success, Achievement & Reward

When making New Year Resolutions and mulling plans for dreams and goals folks often make things harder than they need to be.  Rather than starting with that long, tired list of resolutions that we think we 'should' make, why not make just one resolution - one about which you have true desire, passion and interest. Forget about that long laundry list of resolutions that you make and fail to keep, year after year.  That decision alone increases the odds of success exponentially.  Embarking on the journey with clarity of purpose, a dream about which you have great interest and passion, and a systematic process removes nagging questions and doubt about 'what to do first' and 'what to do next'. 

I preach about pursuing one dream, one day at a time because it has worked so well for me, year after year.  Throughout my life I have made dreams and resolutions a reality by following this simple, common sense approach.  I long ago made a commitment to stop smoking, exercise daily, write, build a business, excel at photography, earn college degrees, own a home and work from my home.  Those are just a few of my Lifetime Resolutions, my dreams.  I don't believe in making resolutions and checking them off my list.  I make them and keep them with me for good. 

A key to my success is that I make just one major resolution and pursue just one life-changing dream at a time.  To do otherwise is a recipe for quick failure.  Our lives are packed full of activities as it is, it's no wonder that we don't have the ambition to tackle a long list of changes that we think we should make.  It's no wonder that most people abandon their Resolution list after days or weeks.  The list exists, but the passion, commitment, and desire is lacking. 

This year can be different.  Change the paradigm.  Think outside the box.  Don't be afraid to color with a red crayon instead of the same blue one you always use.  Change the way you think about dreams, resolutions and goals.  Instead, try my fomula for success and apply the I Resolve To Do's, they're simple, easy to use and easy to understand: 

• Dare To Dream:  Open your mind and consider all the wonderful possibilities.
• Decide:  Make a firm decision, a personal commitment, a promise to yourself to pursue that dream today; to make it a Lifetime Resolution that is with you for good.
• Define:  Turn that dream into a specific, one-sentence resolution that provides clarity of purpose.  For instance, I Resolve To exercise for 30-minutes daily by walking, working out with weights, swimming, doing Yoga, and biking.
• Develop A Plan:  Do your homework, then turn that knowledge into a written short and long-range plan that includes, daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly goals, timelines, milestones, and a system of making course corrections, and giving yourself rewards for achievement.  Keep a Daily Resolution Diary and do daily and weekly Check-Ins.  Your plan is a living document that will grow and change as you grow, learn and change.
• Do It Daily!:  Each and every day take one small step - achieve at least one goal - that will enable you to make your dream, your resolution a reality.  Try to devote at least 30-minutes each day to your dream, tell your friends and family and enlist their support.  Find buddies who can make the journey with you, seek out a mentor who can provide advice, join a club or take a class to learn new things and lend motivation and inspiration to your quest.

As you plot your course, don't forget to consider the obstacles - all the many things that can go wrong, or will stand in the way of progress, including obstacles of our own making.  Consider the I Resolve To Don'ts:

• Procrastinate:  Put an end to the Someday, Someday, Someday Syndrome.  Do It Today.  Stop waiting for tomorrow.
• Give Into Fear Of Success Or Fear Of Failure:  Embrace your fears and your mistakes.  Understand them, learn from them, so you can overcome them and move forward with confidence.  Obstacles will appear like dandelions on a Spring day at times.  Identify the obstacles and prepare for them.  Knowledge is power and it will help you to move past your obstacles and fears.
• Get Overwhelmed Or Discouraged:  Give yourself the gift of time to achieve your dream and make your resolution a reality.  Pursue your resolution one small step - one goal - one day at a time for one year.  If you have a rough day today, know tomorrow is right around the corner.  Patience, passion and persistence will get you through those bleak, rough days.  Reward yourself, often, for successes, victories and milestones.
• Grow Bored, Weary Or Burned Out:  Set a realistic pace, be realistic about your goals - what you can achieve by a specific date.  Remember you don't have to move mountains overnight.  Novels aren't written in a day, college degrees take years to earn, getting in shape takes time.  In short, dreams take time and hard work that's why it's so important to make a resolution that you'd love to achieve.  You have to want to spend time working on it each and every day.  Above all, vary your activities to keep things interesting, take breaks and be kind to yourself.
• Give Up!:  Keep track of your successes, your hard won victories and use them to fuel the fire of your passion and to motivate yourself on both the good and bad days.  Keep your eye on the prize and know in time you will succeed.

I think about my dreams, resolutions and goals each and every day - 365 days each year.  To make and keep New Year resolutions I truly believe you should make each and every day New Year's Day.  You should view each day as a brand new blank slate - a clean sheet of paper on which you will write that day's story.  Above all, you should make each and every day count.  If you're committed to your resolution to that degree, your odds of succeeding are far greater than if you and work on it occasionally.

If you want to successfully fulfill a dream, keep a New Year Resolution, or achieve a goal, writing things down is also vitally important.  I advocate keeping a Daily Resolution Diary.  I track my own progress each day in spiral notebooks and on calendars that Is receive from charitable organizations that I support.  Writing things down enables Resolutionistas - those folks who make Resolutions, keep them, and enjoy the journey - to brainstorm and build concrete plans, to chart progress, clearly view when milestones are achieved, and most importantly to build in rewards for progress and hard won victories.

I carry my spiral notebooks and calendar with me in my purse.  That helps to keep my dreams, resolutions and goals front and center.  When I have a few spare minutes, I pull my notebook out and do some planning.  Personally, I try to do Daily Check-Ins in the morning because they enable me to plan my day and schedule at least 30-minutes or an hour into my day specifically for my dreams, resolutions and goals.  That's not realistic for everyone.  If you can only check in a couple times during the week, and once each weekend, that works too.  The point is to check in frequently, so your dream is a clear daily priority and so you can grow your plan, make course corrections, adjust your timeline and most importantly, devote some time each and every day to your project.

Each weekend, I carve out an hour or two to sit down in a quiet spot with my coffee, notebook and calendar.  I spend that time noodling my 'Things To Do' Lists - what I achieved that week, and what I plan to achieve - the next steps for the coming week, month and quarter.  Planning ahead is another key ingredient of achieving dreams, resolutions and goals.  It's not enough to know what you need to do today and tomorrow.  You need to know the next 10, 20, 50 steps.  That clarity of thought and purpose enables you to be confident about your plans, activities, and ultimately your success.

Why not begin today. Each one of us has dreams, resolutions and goals - why not pull one off your list of Lifetime Resolutions and 'go for it' today.  Make it a priority in your life during the coming New Year.  Rather than live a life of regret for all that you 'didn't do', be grateful and happy for all that you have, all that you are, and all that you 'do' in your life.

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Need More Inspiration?  Wear Your Resolution!  Make Every Day New Year's Day.  Make Every Day Count.  Visit my resolution shop by clicking this link:  http://www.cafepress.com/iresolveto

Kim M. Simpson - December 22, 2007
Copyright © I Resolve To™ . . . * All Rights Reserved

New Year's Day, Annual Good Resolutions -

"New Year's Day:  Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions.  Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.

Mark Twain - From Quotegarden

I Resolve To™ . . . Enjoy The Holidays With Family - Day 355

Happy Holidays - Merry Christmas, my friends! Christmas is just around the corner and I'm determined to un-plug the phone, blackberry, computer, etc. so that I can enjoy the holiday with my family. Otherwise work tends to intervene throughout! Now it's time to wrap gifts, visit old friends, have some laughs and good conversation. I hope you're able to wind down the next few days and actually enjoy! With that in mind I send you these warm, warm holiday wishes!

"Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts. "  Janice Maeditere

"I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys."  Charles Dickens

"Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree.  In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall."  Larry Wilde, The Merry Book of Christmas

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Need More Inspiration?  Wear Your Resolution!  Make Every Day New Year's Day.  Make Every Day Count.  Visit my resolution shop by clicking this link:  http://www.cafepress.com/iresolveto

Kim M. Simpson - December 21, 2007
Copyright © I Resolve To™ . . . * All Rights Reserved

New Year's Eve Like Every Other Night -

"New Year's eve is like every other night; there is no pause in the march of the universe, no breathless moment of silence among created things that the passage of another twelve months may be noted; and yet no man has quite the same thoughts this evening that come with the coming of darkness on other nights."

Hamilton Wright Mabie - From Quotegarden

I Resolve To™ . . . Ponder My 2008 Resolution - Day 354

Just 12 days and counting until New Year's Day 2008!  Are you ready to take a look back at all that you achieved in 2007 - and a look forward at all that you plan to achieve in 2008?  Are you ready to pull a dream off your list of Lifetime Resolutions - all the many things that you you would love to do, see, feel, experience, have, create, achieve in this lifetime?  Something that you passionately would love to tackle in the coming year, something about which you have great desire and interest? 

I believe in making and keeping resolutions - not just for a day, or a couple weeks, but for a lifetime.  You've probably seen the same newspaper articles, the same figures that show abysmal rates of achievement for most new year resolutions.  Most folks make 'em and break 'em.  They fail because they make too many resolutions - resolutions about which they have no true interest.  But it doesn't have to be so.  If you made a resolution last year, and promptly forgot about it - make this year different!

Personally, I'm ready to go.  My resolution for 2008:  I Resolve To . . . Show my gratitude for all that I have and all that I am by 'Giving Back' in 2008 in four areas of my life:  1)  Walk 60 miles for the Washington, DC Breast Cancer 3-Day and raise $3000.  2)  Volunteer at a Virginia Horse Rescue Farm.  3)  Learn more about how to combat Global Warming and take action!  4)  Engage in premeditated acts of kindness.   

I turn 50 in the coming year and I'm grateful forthe many blessings that I have, so I'm going to make the theme for 2008, 'Giving Back'.  Why not do some brainstorming and pick a theme for yourself.  If you didn't keep your 2007 resolution, there's no reason that you have to repeat the same mistakes.  With some planning and forethought - and small steps taken one at a time, one day at a time - you can succeed.  You can achieve a cherished dream.  Why not give it a go?  What do you have to lose?

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Need More Inspiration?  Wear Your Resolution!  Make Every Day New Year's Day.  Make Every Day Count.  Visit my resolution shop by clicking this link:  http://www.cafepress.com/iresolveto

Kim M. Simpson - December 20 2007
Copyright © I Resolve To™ . . . * All Rights Reserved

New Year's Eve -

"Youth is when you're allowed to stay up late on New Year's Eve.  Middle age is when you're forced to. 

Bill Vaughn - From Quotegarden

I Resolve To™ . . . Consider My Options For 2008! - Day 352

The New Year Is Right Around The Corner!  Just 12 days and counting.  Have you thought about what you would love to achieve, do, be, see, learn, create, have, feel in 2008? Why not begin thinking and brainstorming today?   No need to wait for 2008.  Rather than waiting until the stroke of midnight, in a champagne induced frenzy of goodwill - make some sober decisions today.  That's not to say that you can't have fun, be enthusiastic, thrilled, and challenged about the wonderful blank page that will be spread before you on January 1.  You should be excited and ready to 'go for it'!

I'm advocating that you think outside the box.  Forget about the tired 'list of resolutions' that you've made over and over again because you feel you should - or someone else feels that you should.  Instead, try something fresh and new in 2008.  Do something just for you.  Pursue just one resolution.  Pursue just one cherished dream.  Pursue that one dream that is on your mind all the time, the one that makes you feel a little giddy and nervous all at the same time.  Pursue that one dream that you're passionate about - the one that you'd love to achieve in this lifetime.

I call these dreams, Lifetime Resolutions - the things that you'd love to be, do, achieve, see, feel, have, learn, create in this lifetime.  I turn 50 in the New Year, and I've been keeping these lists - achieveing these Lifetime Resolutions most of my life.  My list is long - a living document, that changes and grows as I change and grow.  I've built a business, earned college degrees, worked from home, become a professional photographer, professional fundraiser, writer, entrepreneur, gardener.  I exercise, play tennis, strive to eat healthy, write daily, give back . . . and on and on.  My Lifetime Resolution List fills my days and leaves me fulfilled and happy.

Maybe it's time for you to sit down and brainstorm a Lifetime Resolution List.  Are you carrying around a nagging dream?  One that just won't go away, no matter how much you procrastinate?  Why not make 2008 the year that you 'go for it'?  Don't wait for January 1 - start today!  Do it right now!

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Need More Inspiration?  Wear Your Resolution!  Make Every Day New Year's Day.  Make Every Day Count.  Visit my resolution shop by clicking this link:  http://www.cafepress.com/iresolveto

Kim M. Simpson - December 19, 2007
Copyright © I Resolve To™ . . . * All Rights Reserved

Franklin Covey 2007 Survey On New Year Resolutions

I rely on Google Alerts to keep me 'in the know' daily about news, articles, blog posts, and other information related to New Year Resolutions.  A Google Alert this week included a survey by Franklin Covey that found getting out of debt or saving money, losing weight and developing a healthy habit like exercise or healthy eating are the top three resolutions or goals respectively for 15,031 of the Franklin Covey customers that were polled.  Franklin Covey provides effectiveness training, productivity tools, and assessment services.

An article on the survey was provided this week on Business Wire.  Click here for a PDF of the BusinessWire article:   FranklinCovey2008NewYearSurvey.pdf

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Need More Inspiration?  Wear Your Resolution!  Make Every Day New Year's Day.  Make Every Day Count.  Visit my resolution shop by clicking this link:  http://www.cafepress.com/iresolveto

Kim M. Simpson - December 19, 2007
Copyright © I Resolve To™ . . . * All Rights Reserved

I Resolve To™ . . . Be Positive This Holiday Season! - Day 350

Happy Monday!  Happy holidays to you.  Are you feeling the joy of the holiday season, or maybe feeling a little over-burdened instead?  So many of us are probably feeling the latter, a little stressed, a little over-burdened.  It's so common at this time of the year, as we race to get everything done, to feel pressured.  With that in mind, I hope, as you race the clock the next couple of weeks, you're able to take some time for yourself, do something kind just for you - as you work hard to make everything wonderful for everyone around you.  Give yourself a little pat on the back, and a few small gifts along the way.

With that in mind, on this Monday - I send you these warm thoughts, just for you!

"Don't listen to anyone who tells you that you can't do this or that.  That's nonsense.  Make up your mind , you'll never use crutches or a stick, then have a go at everything.  Go to school, join in all the games you can.  Go anywhere you want to. But never, never let them persuade you that things are too difficult or impossible."  Douglas Bader - British World War II Pilot

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow.  Learn as if you were to live forever."  Mahatma Gandi - Indian Philosopher, internationall esteemed for his doctrine of non-violent protest (1869-1948)

"Never forget the three powerful resources you always have available to you:  love, prayer, and forgiveness."  H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Need More Inspiration?  Wear Your Resolution!  Make Every Day New Year's Day.  Make Every Day Count.  Visit my resolution shop by clicking this link:  http://www.cafepress.com/iresolveto

Kim M. Simpson - December 17, 2007
Copyright © I Resolve To™ . . . * All Rights Reserved

I Resolve To™ . . . Be Filled With The Holiday Spirit! - Day 345

Happy Friday - Happy Holidays!!  Hopefully the work week will draw to an end for you today, and you can get on with holiday shopping, holiday cards, parties, and generally dreaming up ways to make things special for loved ones during the holiday season.  If you're feeling a little stressed, a little pressed for time, maybe a little fatigued . . . take a deep breath, take a break, sit down and make a list of what you really need to do, and know that it will all get done. Then go do something nice for yourself.  You've worked hard, don't forget to give yourself a gift this holiday season.

With that in mind I send you these warm thoughts . . . with the New Year fast approaching, consider persuing one cherished dream, one day at a time, for one year.  Do something just for you in 2008!

"Become a resolution revolutionary like me.  It's time to drastically change the way you think about New Year Resolutions and goals.  In 2007 say 'no' to that tired, old list of 'stuff' that you think you should change about yourself, or think you should do, but know you will discard as soon as you put pen to paper.  Make January 1 a truly new day, a day in which you promise yourself that you will pursue your cherished dream."  Kim M. Simpson

"The act of pursuing and achieving your dream can and will help you to find fulfillment in your life.  I'm not going to predict it's going to change your life forever, or be the best year you've ever had.  Without question, you're going to hit bumps in the road, we all do, that's life.  But each and every time you put your heart and soul into something you love, you will learn something, reap rewards and find personal fullfilment."  Kim M. Simpson

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Need More Inspiration?  Wear Your Resolution!  Make Every Day New Year's Day.  Make Every Day Count.  Visit my resolution shop by clicking this link:  http://www.cafepress.com/iresolveto

Kim M. Simpson - December 14, 2007
Copyright © I Resolve To™ . . . * All Rights Reserved

"The act of pursuing and achieving your dream can and will help you to find fulfillment in your life.  I'm not going to predict it's going to change your life forever, or be the best year you've ever had.  Without question, you're going to hit bumps in the road, we all do, that's life.  But each and every time you put your heart and soul into something you love, you will learn something, reap rewards and find personal fullfilment."  Kim M. Simpson

I Resolve To™ . . . Be Patient Today - Day 346

Thought for the day . . . patience.  Someone today is going to cut you off in traffic, push in front of you on an esclator, cut you off while you're talking . . . need I say more?  Each and every day, we encounter folks who are either rude or impatient.  Drives me crazy, personally.  So I work extra hard to make allowance for these folks.  I try to be patient.  Take a deep breath and just let it go . . . and I do my best to 'not' be the offending party . . .

With that in mind, I send you these positive thoughts about making progress, being patient, persisting through it all . . .

"To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe."  Anatole France

"None of us knows what the next change is going to be, what unexpected opportunity is just around the corner, waiting a few months or a few years to change the tenor of our lives."  Kathleen Norris

"Christmas, my child, is love in action.  Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas."     Dale Evans Rogers, American Singer - Known as the 'Queen of the West'

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Need More Inspiration?  Wear Your Resolution!  Make Every Day New Year's Day.  Make Every Day Count.  Visit my resolution shop by clicking this link:  http://www.cafepress.com/iresolveto

Kim M. Simpson - December 12, 2007
Copyright © I Resolve To™ . . . * All Rights Reserved 

I Resolve To™ . . . Chill Baby Chill! - Day 344

Happy Monday Folks!  Just three weeks left in 2007 . . . looking at the calendar keep in mind we're heading into three of the most stress-filled weeks of the year.  Too much to do, too little time. It's so common to want to make everything 'perfect' during the holiday season, hence an over abundance of stress.  I've been doing my best to plan ahead, work ahead, stay ahead of the curve - alas, my To Do List still is very very long, no end in sight.  But I'm determined to stay calm, work through the list item by item, and enjoy the holiday season.

With that in mind, as you make your journey through the 2007 holiday season, I send you these warm thoughts . . .

"Remember
This December
That love weighs more than gold!"  Josephine Dodge Daskam Bacon

"Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart." Washington Irving

"Christmas - that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance.  It may weave a spell of nostalgia.  Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance - a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved."  Augusta E. Rundel

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Need More Inspiration?  Wear Your Resolution!  Make Every Day New Year's Day.  Make Every Day Count.  Visit my resolution shop by clicking this link:  http://www.cafepress.com/iresolveto

Kim M. Simpson - December 10, 2007
Copyright © I Resolve To™ . . . * All Rights Reserved

"Christmas - that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance.  It may weave a spell of nostalgia.  Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance - a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved."  Augusta E. Rundel

I Resolve To™ . . . Take A Break Today! - Day 343

Happy Sunday!  Been a busy weekend?  Lots of shopping, gift-wrapping, running around, and tackling weekend chores?  The weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year are often incredibly stressful for folks - too much to do, and too little time - often to little sleep and exercise, and too much food and drink.  Why not take a bit of a break today?  Even if you have things on your To Do List, why not take a nap, read a book, watch a movie, play a game with your kids - do whatever will help to bring some peace and joy to your day. All work and no play is no good.  I fall victim to that all to often - not a good habit. 

With that in mind, I send you these warm words of inspiration this Sunday - along with the hope that you can take a break today!

"Christmas, children, is not a date.  It is a state of mind."  Mary Ellen Chase

"He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree." Roy L. Smith

"For centuries men have kept an appointment with Christmas.  Christmas means fellowship, feasting, giving and receiving, a time of good cheer, home."  W.J. Ronald Tucker

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Need More Inspiration?  Wear Your Resolution!  Make Every Day New Year's Day.  Make Every Day Count.  Visit my resolution shop by clicking this link:  http://www.cafepress.com/iresolveto

Kim M. Simpson - December 9, 2007
Copyright © I Resolve To™ . . . * All Rights Reserved 

I Resolve To™ . . . Check In Today! - Day 342

Time for a weekly Check-In!  We're 341 days into 2007.  That means just 24 days until Janaury 1, 2008!  The New Year is a traditional time of the year to take a look back on what was achieved and to look forward at future hopes, desires and dreams.  Having a blank slate - a blank sheet of paper on which we can write the next chapter is such a  wonderful feeling on January 1! 

Why not make each and every day New Year's Day?  Make each and every day - every blank page -count?  Why not get a head start on the New Year today?!  I preach about doing daily, weekly, and monthly Check-Ins because they are so important.  Check-Ins help to keep you accountable, chart progress and make course corrections when your plan veers in a wrong direction.  Your plan after all is a living, breathing document.  It grows and changes as you grow and change.  Most importantly Check-Ins help you to keep track of hard won victories and milestones.  Celebrating those victories is a great way to build and maintain momentum, enthusiasm and confidence - all of which you will need to tackle obstacles that can and will threaten progress. 

If you've been working hard to make a dream real in 2007 take a good hard look at your progress and your plan this weekend.  Review what you've achieved and brainstorm what you'd like to do next - the next mountain that you would like to climb!  Then tie on those hiking boots and get going today, no need to wait.  If you start now, you'll be organized and ready for the New Year, ready to take your current dream to the next leve - or to launch a new dream! 

Keep in mind, to succeed with dreams, resolutions and goals you need to write things down in a journal, notebook, or Daily Resolution Diary.  You have to do your homework so you know all the many steps that are necessary (the who, what, when, where, why, and how), then build a long and short range plan that enables you to generate a timeline, and plot small incremental steps via daily goals. 

Knowing what you want to achieve, coupled with a process, an orderly system, can be the difference between success and failure.  I keep the I Resolve To System simple with five Do's:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily.  The five I Resolve To Don'ts are also simple and common sense, but important: Don't Procrastinate, Don't Give Into Fear Of Success Or Fear Of Failure, Don't Get Discouraged, Don't Grow Bored Or Weary, Don't Give Up!   

Armed with a simple System, Daily Resolution Diary, a plan, timeline and a specific, defined dream you can succeed if you're committed, patient, passionate, and persistent.  I religiously follow the I Resolve To Do's and Don'ts for all my dreams.  I start the creative process with a dream, turn it into a one sentence resolution, and make that resolution a reality with daily goals . . .The I Resolve To Formula For Success:

Dream + Resolution + Daily Goals = Success, Achievement, Reward!

Fulfilling dreams, keeping New Year Resolutions and achieving goals doesn't have to be hard, or impossible - we sometimes make things far more difficlut than they really are, or need to be.  Why not give it a go?  Do a Check-In today, begin looking back at what you achieved in 2007, and dreaming about what you can achieve in 2008 if you believe in yourself!

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Need More Inspiration?  Wear Your Resolution!  Make Every Day New Year's Day.  Make Every Day Count.  Visit my resolution shop by clicking this link:  http://www.cafepress.com/iresolveto

Kim M. Simpson - December 8, 2007
Copyright © I Resolve To™ . . . * All Rights Reserved 

I Resolve To™ . . . Have A Fab Friday! - Day 341

Happy Friday Folks!  I hope you've enjoyed a thoroughly productive and fulfilling week, full of actvities and people that you enjoy.  If you've had some ups and downs this week, encountered some obstacles, take a deep breath, today is a new day - and tomorrow is Saturday.  Even if you have household chores and holiday tasks on the agenda this weekend, you can make some time for yourself!  With that in mind, I send you warm wishes for a great weekend . . . one in which you spend a little quality time on yourself and your dreams.

"If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all.  And so today I still have a dream."  Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot.  In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you."  Oscar Wilde

"Risks must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing."  Leo Buscaglia - American Guru, advocate of the power of love (1924-1998)

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Need More Inspiration?  Wear Your Resolution!  Make Every Day New Year's Day.  Make Every Day Count.  Visit my resolution shop by clicking this link:  http://www.cafepress.com/iresolveto

Kim M. Simpson - December 7, 2007
Copyright © I Resolve To™ . . . * All Rights Reserved 

I Resolve To™ . . . Let Desire Shine Through - Day 340

Desire is so vitally important if you're working to achieve a dream, resolution, goal . . .  One of the most common mistakes that folks make when they make New Year Resolutions is to draft a long list of things they feel they 'should' change about themselves.  That list is often made amidst the 'holiday hangover' . . . you know the feeling you get after the holidays from too much spending, drinking, eating, and too little exercise, relaxation and moderation. 

This year can be different if you start from a position of 'desire'.  You have to truly 'want' to make your dream, your resolution, your daily goals a reality because you fully understand how much pleasure, fulfillment and reward you will reap.  Without true desire your efforts are crippled from the start.  Without desire coupled with commitment, you won't want to put in the sweat equity and hard work that is necessary to implement your plan and overcome the obstacles that will most certainly sprout like dandelions on a summer's day.

Why not make a complete paradigm shift in the way that you approach your 2008 New Year resolution.  Instead of drafting that same tired list that you know you're going to ignore, try something different.  Choose just one resolution - a dream that you would truly love to achieve.  A dream that inspires you.  A dream that you would enthusiastically tackle each and every day because you know at the end of the rainbow you'll find a pot of gold in the form a joy, pleasure and personal achievement. 

We're 26 days away from New Year's Day - give it some thought today, you don't have to wait.  Pull out a spiral notebook and pen, grab a cup of coffee, and make a list of the 100 dreams large and small that you would truly love to do, see, be achieve, have, learn, experience, feel, hear, create in this lifetime.  Just because you've made New Year Resolutions the same way in the past doesn't mean you have to do the same in 2008.  Join me here in the New Year for a different approach to making your resolution a reality!  Start with a dream, turn it into a one sentence resolution and make it happen with daily goals . . .

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Need More Inspiration?  Wear Your Resolution!  Make Every Day New Year's Day.  Make Every Day Count.  Visit my resolution shop by clicking this link:  http://www.cafepress.com/iresolveto

Kim M. Simpson - December 6, 2007
Copyright © I Resolve To™ . . . * All Rights Reserved 

I Resolve To™ . . . Enjoy This Terrific Wednesday! - Day 339

Happy Wednesday - Happy 2007!  Amazing how quickly the year passed, isn't it?  There never seems to be enough time - enough hours in the day to tackle everything, to do it all.  So much to do, be, learn, see, achieve, create, experience.  With that in mind, I'm going to make the most of this wonderful Wednesday, and not waste a minute being stressed or crabby regardless of what obstacles might present themselves.  I hope you have a wonderful day too, and I sent these warm words of encouragement your way . . .

"Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations.  I may not reach them but I can lookup and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow them." Louisa May Alcott

"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all."  Dale Carnegie

"If you want to build a ship, don't herd people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea." Antoine De Saint-Exupery

Remember:  I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Need More Inspiration?  Wear Your Resolution!  Make Every Day New Year's Day.  Make Every Day Count.  Visit my resolution shop by clicking this link:  http://www.cafepress.com/iresolveto

Kim M. Simpson - December 5, 2007
Copyright © I Resolve To™ . . . * All Rights Reserved