I RESOLVE TO . . .

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

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

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

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

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

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 

I Resolve To™ . . . Focus, Focus, Focus! - Day 338

Too Many Resolutions!  Wonder why so many folks make New Year Resolutions and promptly fail to keep them?  They make too many.  They make resolutions about which they have no true interest, desire, passion, or commitment.  They make resolutions that are a knee-jerk reaction to holiday excess - too much food, drink, spending, and too little exercise, moderation and common sense during the holiday season.

Are you thinking about making a New Year Resolution in 2008?  There's no better time than the present to get started.  We're 28 days away from the New Year - why not get going right now, today?  First step, bury that tired, old list of New Year Resolutions that you make every year and fail to keep.  It's going to get buried deep, deep on your desk somewhere anyway, so go ahead.  Bury it today.

Instead open your mind and Dare To Dream.  What's the one thing that you would truly love to do, see, be, feel, achieve, create, learn, experience have in this lifetime.  What are the 100 things?  Pull out your journal and draft a list of all the things big and small that you would love to pursue, then focus on just one dream in 2007.  Just one, not 10.  Don't set the bar so high that you will fail immediately.  Keep it simple and realistic.

Follow this simple I Resolve To Formula:  Dream + Resolution + Daily Goals = Success!

Follow these Simple I Resolve To Do's: 

1. Dare To Dream - Open your mind and consider all the wonderful possibilities.
2. Decide - Make a firm decicision to 'go for it' in 2008, make a promise to yourself to stick with your dream no matter what. 
3. Define - turning your dream into a simple, specific one-sentence resolution such as I Resolve To exercise daily by jogging, playing tennis, walking, doing Yoga, swimming, and lifting weights.
4. Develop A Plan - do your homework to determine all the many steps that are necessary to turn your resolution to reality (the who, what, when, why, where, and how); build a long-range plan, then break it down into small daily steps - goals - that can be achieve one at a time.
5. Do It Daily - pursue the goals in your plan one at a time, one day at a time, for one year - then at the end of a year turn that resolution into a LifeTime resolution that's with you for good (take it to the next level in 2009!)

Bottom Line:  you need to be committed, focused, patient, passionate, and persistent if you want to make and keep a New Year Resolution.  It's hard enough to make one life-altering dream happen, let alone 10.  If your dream is to get healthy in 2008 - focus like a laser - build a plan that will enable you to eat better, exercise, get good sleep, reduce stress, and have some fun.  There are so many possibilities, so many different dreams - each dream as unique as the dreamer.  Stop procrastinating.  Get fired up and get busy, right now, not tomorrow!

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 4, 2007
Copyright © I Resolve To™ . . . * All Rights Reserved 

I Resolve To™ . . . Show My Gratitude In 2008! Day 337

We'll ring in the New Year in just 30 days - are you ready?  If you keep your New Year resolutions front and center, your success rate grows exponentially.  Small steps, taken one at a time, one day at a time add up like interest on money in the bank.  With that in mind, it's time to take a serious look back at what we achieved in 2007 and what we plan to achieve in 2008.  No need to wait for New Year's Day, start planning today!  Make Each And Every Day New Year's Day - Make Each And Every Day Count!

My resolution this year was to grow my resolution project by writing a daily advice column, launching a resolution store (so folks can keep their resolutions front and center by wearing them), trademarking I Resolve To . . ., and writing an E-Book.  I'm happy to say I've succeeded in moving forward on all fronts, and I plan to take my resolution project to the next level in 2008 by marketing my E-Book and products and creating new product designs. 

If you plan to succeed with your resolution in 2008 - begin dreaming now, then pull just one cherished dream off your Lifetime Resolution List - those things that you would truly love to do, see, feel, achieve, learn, be, create, have in your liftetime.  Exercising daily, building a business, working from home, writing daily, blogging, creating fabulous photographs, and helping folks to achieve their resolutions are among my Lifetime Resolutions.  I'm a Resolutionista and darn proud of it. I make resolutions, keep them with me for life and enjoy the journey.  Why not join me in making the journey in 2008?

In the coming year my dream is to show gratitude and 'give back'.  I count my blessings each and every day, but next year is my 50th year on this planet, so I want to do something special.  I'm thankful that I've made it this far and I want to show that gratitude each and every day.  My 2008 resolution is: 

"I Resolve To . . . show gratitude for all that I have and all that I am by 'giving back' in four specific areas:  the environment, animals, daily acts of kindness, and raising money for the Washington, DC Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk October 3-5, 2008.

In 2008, I'm going to show up here each and every day here at I Resolve To . . . to share my journey.  I plan to share tips for how each one of us can fight Global Warming, protect our animal friends, be kinder to fellow humans, and volunteer/raise money for a cause we believe in.  I hope you'll make a promise to yourself in 2008 to pursue one of your own dreams.  Start today by signing the I Resolve To . . . Promise - IResolveToPromise.pdf.  Join me in making the journey of a lifetime in 2008!

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!

Kim M. Simpson - December 3, 2007
Copyright © I Resolve To™ . . . * All Rights Reserved    

I Resolve To™ . . . Take A Break Today! - Day 336

Busy, Busy, Busy Time Of The Year!  If you find yourself racing from one task to another this weekend, in an effort to buy holiday gifts, draft holiday cards, and prepare for parties - make sure to take some breaks!  Set aside a little time just for you.  Do something nice for yourself.  And remember, it will all get done.  The holiday season is often a very stressful time of the year, so it's important to balance the scales a bit.  While we're taking care of everyone else, it's important to take care of ourselves.  With that in mind, I send you these warm, holiday words of inspiration . . .

"I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all year."  Charles Dickens

"Christmas weaves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful."  Norman Vincent Peale

"It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air."  W.T. Ellis

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!

Kim M. Simpson - December 2, 2007
Copyright © I Resolve To™ . . . * All Rights Reserved 

I Resolve To™ . . . Pursue Just One Resolution In 2008! - Day 335

Just 31 days until New Year's Day 2008!  No, I'm not ahead of myself.  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 every now and then.

If you want to fulfill a dream, keep a resolution, or achieve a goal you also need a system and a plan.  Personally, I believe we make things harder than necessary when we make New Year resolutions.  If you're thinking about making resolutions in 2008, set aside the long, negative laundry list of things that you believe you should change about yourself.  If you draft that list of 'sins' on January 1, you'll probably bury it on your desk anyway, so go ahead and set it aside right now.

Instead give your New Year Resolution some serious thought right now.  I emphasize just one New Year Resolution.  Not 10 resolutions.  Carve out some quiet time, pull out a spiral notebook ,and think about the 100 things, large and small, that you would love to do, be, see, feel, achieve, create, learn, have in this lifetime.  This is your Lifetime Resolution List.  For 2008, choose the one dream that you would truly, passionately love to pursue.  Start with that one dream, turn it into a one-sentence resolution and make it a reality with daily goals.  That's the I Resolve To Formula For Success:

Cherished Dream + Determined Resolution + Daily Goals = Success, Reward, Fulfillment. 

I preach about this simple system day after day because it works - Five Do's and Five Don'ts that can help to guide you through the year.  If you choose one resolution, and take one small step at a time, one day at a time - you will likely succeed because you are being committed and realistic.  Consider the system:

I Resolve To . . . Do's:

1. Dare To Dream - Open your mind and consider all the wonderful possibilities.
2. Decide - Resolve to achieve your dream; make a firm decision to 'go for it' today, not tomorrow.
3. Define - In one sentence, clearly define your dream, turn it into a specific resolution.
4. Develop A Plan - Do your homework and determine all the steps that are necessary to turn your dream, your resolution into reality.
5. Do It Daily - pursue your one resolution, one day at a time for one year.

I Resolve To . . . Don'ts:

1. Procrastinate - Put an end to the Someday, Someday, Someday Syndrome; Do It Today.
2. Give Into Fear Of Success Or Fear Of Failure - Embrace your fears, understand them, learn from them, overcome them.
3. Get Overwhelmed Or Discouraged - Pursue your resolution one small step at a time, one day at a time and be willing face and overcome the obstacles; the rough days will pass.
4. Grow Bored, Weary Or Burned Out - Set a realistic pace, one small step at a time, take breaks, and acknowledge and reward hard won victories.
5. Give Up - Count your successes, be grateful, and keep your eye on the prize, achieveing your dream.

Make 2008 the year that you pursued and fulfilled that cherished dream.  Use the next 31 days to dream, brainstorm, and build a plan that will set you on a steady, committed course on New Year's Day.  Sign the I Resolve To Promise IResolveToPromise.pdf  Today!

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!

Kim M. Simpson - December 1, 2007
Copyright © I Resolve To™ . . . * All Rights Reserved   

I Resolve To™ . . . Maintain My Positive Attitude This Weekend! - Day 334

Happy Friday!  I hope you've had a wonderful week - productive and fulfilling with a bit of fun thrown in.  Here we are on Friday, that wonderful day of the week.  There is so much to do, and so much to look forward to.  Personally, I'm going to finish my holiday shopping, gift-wrapping and holiday cards this weekend.  This year, I decided not to fall behind with holiday activities. A year ago my cards went in the mail after the New Year.  I'm trying to do a little better this time around, so I've crafted my To Do Lists, made a plan, and I'm working methodically through the tasks.  If I fall behind a bit, I'm not going to get stressed out, or beat myself up.  It will all get done!  And it will all get done before January 1.

With that in mind, I'm looking forward to my shopping excursion, and even if traffic is heavy and the malls are packed, I'm going to enjoy regardless.  Alternatively, I could be crabby and negative if things go wrong, but there's no fun in that.  So I'm going to approach my weekend with a positive attitude, even if I feel somewhat overwhelmed at times.  And I do plan to spend some quality time on my resolution project in between everything else.  Like I said, so much to look forward to.  Equally important, so much for which I am grateful!

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!

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

I Resolve To™ . . . Use Positive Words - Day 331

The words that we use - whether they hold positive or negative meanings - have an impact on our daily activities, attitude, and interaction with others.  When we speak and think positively it has a huge impact on outcomes. Consider, for instance, the difference between 'I can't achieve' compared with 'I can achieve' (or better yet, I will achieve, or 'I am achieving'). 

Small nuances in our daily lives - like the words we use and the tenor of our attitude - have a big impact on our dreams, resolutions and goals.  When a folks believe in themselves, their abilities and dreams, they're in a winning position before beginning the work.  They roll up their sleeves and get down to business from a position of strength.  Making a dream a reality can be chock full of challenges and obstacles - why make the journey more difficult than it needs to be? 

Why not be positive when talking and brainstorming?  Consider these positive affirmations:

1. I possess the skills and 'know-how' to succeed.  What I don't know, I will learn.
2. I am smart, talented and committed. I Will work at my dream until I make it a reality.
3. I can do this! I will do this!  I am doing this!
4. I am passionate, patient and persisent.  Nothing will hold me back.
5. I am filled with faith, hope and optimism.  I am 'Going For It'!
6. I Resolve To . . . achieve my dream, keep my resolution and fulfill my daily goals.
7. I am strong and determined.
8. I will overcome fear and doubt and turn them into strengths.
9. I am inspired and enthusaistic about my dream!
10. I am disciplined.  I will never 'Give Up On My Dream'!

Do you have a cherished dream that you would love to pursue in 2008.  It's never too early to turn that dream into a one-sentence resolution, and make it a reality with daily goals.  That's the I Resolve To Formula For Success:  Dream+Resolution+Daily Goals=Success, Reward & Fulfillment.  Why not begin brainstorming and planning right now. Make a promise to yourself that you will 'go for it' with all you've got.  To get you going, sign the I Resolve To Promise . . . IResolveToPromise.pdf.  Put an end to the Someday, Someday, Someday Syndrome.  Begin living your dream today!

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!

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

I Resolve To™ . . . Three Words To Live By! - Day 330

I Resolve To . . . I just love those three words.  They are a huge part of my life.  I Have Resolve. I Am Resolved.  I Resolve Daily.  That's why I show up here day after day writing about positive ways to pursue dreams, resolutions and goals.  To me, those three words - I Resolve To - are truly magical.  They're inspirational.  They make me feel decisive, determined and committed.  They are the launching pad for my dreams and for those special moments when I open my mind to the possibilities, then reach for the stars. 

Resolve, after all, means to 'Decide Firmly.'  It's such a simple word when you think about it.  The 'Deciding' part of pursuing a cherished dream can also be very simple, if you let it be so.  I hope you've experienced that wonderful moment, when in a flash, you just know in your head and heart what you must do. The course you must take becomes crystal clear.  It's like a lightning bolt of insight.  I find those moments to be both a relief and a a spark that often lights the fire of passion within me. Those moments typically arrive after I have been mulling about something important.  Oh, what a wonderful feeling when you know what you you must do.

That said, the act of 'Deciding' to pursue a dream - a particular, specific course of action - is just the beginning of the journey, an exciting journey.  Once you're resolved and have made a promise, a firm commitment to yourself that you will pursue your dream, give it everything you've got, stick with it through thick and thin, and never give up - then the real work, the hard, fullfilling, rewarding work begins.

Okay, so you've opened your mind and Dared To Dream.  You've made a Decision to 'Go For It', and now you're ready to clearly Define your dream - you're ready to turn that dream into a specific, one-sentence resolution.  With that resolution in hand, you can do your homework to learn all the many steps that are necessary to fulfill your dream then Develop A Plan.  Most importantly, with that plan in hand you can Do It Daily!  You can confidently, systematically, calmly pursue your dream one small step at a time, one day at a time.  You can make that dream a Lifetime Resolution that is with you for good. 

Are you ready?  Why not start today?  Use my simple five-step process - the I Resolve To Do's to turn turn your resolution to reality.  Stop procrastinating.  Begin preparing for the wonderful New Year - 2008 - today!

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!

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

I Resolve To™ . . . Be Positive Today! - Day 329

It's easy to be negative.  But with a little forethought and energy, the benefits of being positive are overwhelmingtly beneficial.  With that in mind, today, why not make a point to view life through a positive lens.  When you feel yourself shifting toward the negative, yank yourelf back toward the positive.  As you make your journey down that path, I offer these words of encouragement . . .

"The reason people find it so hard to be happy is that they always see the past better than it was, the present worse than it is, and the future less resolved than it will be."  Marcel Pagnot - French writer, produce and film director (1895-1974)

"If there was nothing wrong with the world there wouldn't be anything for us to do."  George Bernard Shaw

"Do you want me to tell you something really subversive?  Love is everything it's cracked up to be.  That's why people are so cynical about it. It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for.  And the trouble is, if you don't risk anything, you risk even more."  Erica Jong - American Writer and Feminist (Born 1942)

"Most people would rather be certain they're miserable, than risk being happy."  Dr. Robert Anthony

"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)

"If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus a day, so I never have to live without you.  Winnie the Pooh

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!

Kim M. Simpson - November 27, 2007
Copyright © I Resolve To™ . . . * All Rights Reserved

I Resolve To™ . . . Be Happy This Monday! Day 328

Happy Monday To You!  I hope you had a wonderful weekend and a truly blessed Thanksgiving Holiday.  Here we are, in the mix again.  Time off just doesn't last long enough does it?  The trick to making those wonderful holidays last is to find small patches of silence, gratitude, relaxation, and reflection during normal work days, isn't it?

I like to think of these small patches of 'meditation' as mini-vacations during the day.  They're particularly helpful during the stress-filled weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.  We work so hard to pack so much into those four short weeks - regular work along with personal activities, on top of holiday shopping, cards, gift-wrapping, parties, volunteering, and so on. It's an extraordinarily busy time of the year!

Can we make it through with our sanity? 'Yep' we sure can.  This is how I make it through. Come on, join me . . .

1. I know 'it will all get done' regardless of how much I worry - or more importantly 'don't worry'.
2. I take a deep breath when I feel 'annoyed', or when someone cuts me off in traffic, or when someone is 'rude' - then I really work to 'be kind' in return even when I don't want to!
3. I enjoy the holiday journey - and remember 'why' I'm doing all of this, and 'for whom'.
4. I acklowledge that the end of the year, and a new blank page is very near - the gift of 365 new days in which I can live, love, be happy, and work hard to achieve my dreams, resolutions and goals is right around the corner.
5. I count my blessings each and every day for all that I have and all that I am (my health, loved ones, home, business, animals, creative pursuits, and on and on).  I am truly thankful.  You can be too!

Most days I truly do not have anything to complain about.  I try to avoid complaining even when it's full of merit and well deserved (yes, I break down at times, and whine a bit, but I try to recover quickly).  My point?  The holiday season is stretched before us.  Let's try to enjoy.  Let's try to give back and make someone else happy.  Let's try to remember the meaning behind the celebrations.  And, at the end of the day, let's try to remember our dreams - and never lose sight of those precious dreams, even for a moment.

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!

Kim M. Simpson - November 26, 2007
Copyright © I Resolve To™ . . . * All Rights Reserved   

I Resolve To™ . . . Look To The Holiday Season With Hope! - Day 327

Happy Sunday!  I hope you've had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday, as well as a productive and peaceful weekend.  With that in mind, I send you these warm warm words of inspiration . . .

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

"I think we all have a little voice inside us tha will guide us.  It may be God, I don't know.  But I think that if we shut out all the noise and clutter from our lives and listen to that voice, it will tell us the right thing to do."  Christopher Reeve

"If you realized how pwoerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought."          Peace Pilgrim - American Teacher, Spiritual Leader & Peace Prophet (1908-1981)

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!

Kim M. Simpson - November 25, 2007
Copyright © I Resolve To™ . . . * All Rights Reserved

I Resolve To™ . . . Check In Today! - Day 326

The weekend is here - are you ready to do a bit of work on your dreams, resolutions and goals?  'Yep', perhaps we're stuffed full of turkey and 'shopped out' after a couple days at the malls.  With those holiday activities in mind, now is the time to re-focus on our dreams, resolutions and goals.  In a little more than an month we will ring in the New Year.  But, we don't have to wait until January 1, 2008 to pause and look back on all that we achieved, or to look forward toward the changes that we would like to make in our lives.  Or toward the dreams that we would love to pursue . . .

I'm an advocate of doing daily and weekly 'Check-Ins' on dreams, resolutions and goals.  Those Check-Ins help us to keep our dreams front and center.  They help us to refine our short and long-term action plans.  Our Check-Ins help us to make course corrections when we're off course, or spinning our wheels.  Our Check-Ins help us to brainstorm fresh ideas for how to move dreams to the next level - to decide what homework needs to be done, what questions need to be asked that will tell us the 'who, where, what, when, why, and how' we will achieve our dreams.  Our Check-Ins help us to set deadlines, and build/refine strong timelines.  Our Check-Ins keep us on track, moving forward one small step at a time, one day at a time.

Before the holiday season gets crazy busy - maybe it's time to take a good, hard look back on 2007 dreams, and a look ahead at 2008.  This weekend, and the next few weekends, set aside an hour or two for yourself in a place where you can think and enjoy a bit of solitude. Pull out your journals - or begin a journal.  Whether it's a spiral notebook, or leather-bound book, no matter.  The important thing is that you do some brainstorming with your journal.  Don't procrastinate - do it for you and your dreams, today!

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!

Kim M. Simpson - November 24, 2007
Copyright © I Resolve To™ . . . * All Rights Reserved   

I Resolve To™ . . . Resolve In The New Year! - Day 325

Happy Friday!  I hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving filled with good food, good company and gratitude for all that you have and all that you are.  Today, as many of us trek to the malls to shop for gifts, it's safe to say the holiday season is officially, fully underway.

Just 39 days from today, we will ring in the New Year . . . January 1, 2008.  It's amazing how quickly the year passed by!  Did you make and keep your 2007 New Year Resolutions?  Or were they forgotten long before the roses landed an eternity ago, on Valentine's Day?  Keep in mind your 2008 New Year Resolution doesn't have to suffer the same terrible fate:  death by un-timely burial and suffocation at the bottom of your desk drawer.

Alternatively, why not use the next month to motivate yourself, do some brainstorming and planning, get your life organized, so that you will have momentum when you launch your New Year Resolution on January 1.  One of the biggest mistakes that people make is to draft a long laundry list of things that they feel they must change about themselves.  I call it the 'sins'.  Folks draft this list after living 41 days of 'excess' between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.  Hence, they end up with an array of guilt-fed resolutions to:  stop drinking, stop over-eating, stop spending, pay off debt, exercise more, get more rest, get healthy, get fit, get organized.  You know the list. 

Typically people don't have true interest in making and keeping these resolutions.  They don't have the desire, commitment, determination, patience, passion, or persistence to make them a reality.  This in turn sets them up for early failure and guilt. 

Instead of repeating the mistakes of the past, why not think outside the box in 2008?  Become a Resolution Revolutionary and change the paradigm.  It's okay to be different.  It's okay to color outside the lines with bright red, or yellow, or purple crayons. 

To get you rolling here are some common sense tips, which include the Five I Resolve To Do's that I preach about (Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily).  Rather than writing your resolutions on the back of a bar napkin at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, consider pursuing just one resolution in a more systematic, thoughtful way in 2008 . . . Start today by taking these steps:

1. Begin brainstorming now about what you will achieve in 2008.  Pull out a notebook.  Grab a cup of coffee and find a quiet spot where you can think.  To put yourself in a positive frame of mind, consider all the many things that you achieved during the past 12 months.  Draft a list of all the successes, the things that you did or created, the new things that you learned and tried for the first time. I bet you will come up with a list about which you can be truly proud.
2. Next, consider all the things that you would love to do, see, be, learn, achieve, have, feel, experience, create in this lifetime.  Open your mind and Dare To Dream.  Yes, consider all that could be possible in your life.  For now, don't worry about being realistic.  Write down the 25, 50, 100 dreams, large and small, that you would love to achieve in this lifetime.  This is your Lifetime Resolution List. 
3. Take a long, hard, careful look at your Lifetime Resolution List.  Which resolution really leaps out at you.  Which one lights your fire.  Which one do you truly want to focus on during the next 12 months.  Which one would bring happiness, reward and fulfillment to your life?  Okay it's decision time.  The next step is to Decide to pursue that one dream.  Resolve, after all means to decide firmly.  Make a decision today to 'go for it' - to pursue that one resolution, that one dream with all you're worth, with everything you've got!
4. It's important to be very specific - broad, general resolutions are dangerous.  The next step is to Define exactly what you plan to achieve in one sentence such as, I resolve to exercise daily for 30-minutes by walking, swimming, biking, playing tennis, doing Yoga, and working out with weights.  This is one of my Lifetime Resolutions - I made it long ago and it is with me permanently. 
5. So where to begin once you've Dare To Dream, Decided and Defined?  How to turn a dream, a resolution into reality?  You need commitment.  You need passion, patience, perseverance, and most importantly a PLAN.  Next step is to do your homework so that you know all the steps that are ncessary to achieve your dream, your resolution.  Then Develop A Plan that includes a timeline, deadlines, and realistic long and short range goals that can be broken down into small daily steps that you can take one by one.  From the beginning it's important to keep a Daily Resolution Diary so that you can measure progress, make course corrections, and reward yourself for hard won victories!
6. Finally, you need to actually Do It Daily!  If you have a plan but fail to implement, it means nothing.  But if you take one small step at a time, one day at a time, for one year, you will have a much better shot at succeeding.  Think of your effort like money in the bank paying compound interest.  Your dividends grow much larger over time.

I firmly believe that each one of us is capable of making and keeping New Year Resolutions, but you have to know what you want and be willing to work hard to achieve it.  At the outset you have to determine the 'who, what, when, why, where, and how' of your New Year Resolution to make it a reailty.  A willingness to be introspective is very important, as is a desire to overcome obstacles when they present themselves and not beat yourself up when you make mistakes, or fall behind in your schedule.  If your resolution is to exercise daily, and you miss a few days, consider all the days that you did exercise - and all the days that you will exercise!

At the end of the day, you have to start somewhere.  Why not start right here, right now. Make a decision to use what you know, use your common sense, and my simple I Resolve To System to turn your resolution to reality in 2008.  Make a firm commitment by signing the I Resolve To Promise irt_promise.pdf and working your way thorugh the Five I Resolve To Do's and the I Resolve To Formula:

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

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!

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

I Resolve To™ . . . Show Gratitude Today! - Day 324

Happy Thanksgiving one and all!  The start of the holiday season is upon us - yeaaaaa!  I do love this time of the year.  This year, for the first time, I'm cooking a turkey dinner and all the fixings with a friend.  I did all the shopping, cleaning, organizing, prepping, and will do clean up - and he's doing most of the actual cooking.  Which works great for me, as I can cook to feed myself, but cooking is not a priority, or something that I enjoy unless I'm doing it for friends, or a special occasion.  Today's a special occasion, so I'm making an effort!  By the time I'm done, I'm sure I'll literally 'fall into bed' but it will be worth it.

Most importantly, I do plan to make some quiet time for myself to reflect a bit on all that I have in my life, and all that I am.  I have so much to be grateful for - and on this Thanksgiving, and onward, I am counting my blessings.  With that in mind I wish you a wonderful holiday, and send these warm words of inspiration your way . . .

"Thanksgiving is a jewel, to set in the hearts of honest men; but be careful that you do not take the day, and leave out the gratitude."  E.P. Powell

"Remember God's bounty in the year.  String the pearls of His favor.  Hide the dark parts, except so far as they are breaking out in light!  Give this one day to thanks, to joy, to gratitude!  Henry Ward Beecher

"What we're really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets.  I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving."  Erma Bombect, 'No One Diets On Thanksgiving, November 26, 1981.

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!

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

I Resolve To™ . . . Have A Very Happy Thanksgiving! - Day 323

So many blessings!  If you really ponder your blessings, I bet you can generate quite a list.  And since it's Thanksgiving Eve, what better time than today to count blessings, and show gratitude for everything that we have and everything that we are, each and every one of us. 

Here in the U.S. Thanksgiving day is celebrated at the end of harvest season, it's the beginning of the holiday season, and it's the traditional time of year when we give thanks, and count our blessings (Wikipedia has an interesting write up about the history of Thanksgiving and present-day celebrations).  Personally I think counting blessings, and showing gratitude, is a wonderful way to promote happiness, self-esteem, and joy in one's life.  I like to count my blessings every day, rather than just during the holiday season, as it does tend to boost my mood and efforts to think positively. 

With that in mind, as we enter the holiday season I send these warm words of inspiration your way in the hope that you will have Thanksgiving, and an equally wonderful 2008 filled with many many blessings!

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."  John Fitzgerald Kennedy

"If the only preyer you said in your whole life was, 'thank you', that would suffice."  Meister Eckhart

"Let us remember that, as much has been give us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds."  Theodore Roosevelt

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!

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

I Resolve To™ . . . Exercise Moderation This Holiday Season! 322

Excess tends to define the period between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.  Too much food, too much drink, too much spending, and on and on.  While we may enjoy ourselves, all too often we end up with an 'excess hang-over' on January 1, which prompts the laundry list of New Year resolutions targeted at changing the 'ills' brought on by all that excess.  You know the resolutions, 'stop drinking, smoking, over-eating, spending, and so on. 

So, why travel that path this year if it only leads to guilt-fed resolutions that you will make and 'not keep' because you don't have true interest, desire, or commitment to keep them?  They're typically a knee-jerk reaction to the holiday excess, after all.  Why not try something different this year?  Instead of blind excess, why not try moderating your eating, drinking, spending, partying now, today, by giving it some thought and setting some healty goals. 

Instead of building to that grand 'hang-over', start exercising 'now', by hitting the gym every other day, or walking for 30-minutes each day, or swimming, riding your bike, or doing Yoga.  Don't wait for January 1, start today! 

Instead of eating cookie after cookie at one sitting - eat just one cookie.  So you can eat those goodies during the holiday season, add more salads, fruits and veggies to your lunches and dinners during the next six weeks.  We know what we 'should do' - so much of it is plain common sense, but we get caught up in the celebrations and the festive mood, which leads to 'excess' more often that not.  I'm not saying that you have to give up all the 'good stuff', just exercise moderation.

This year can be different, with a little forethought and planning, but you have to make a concious choice and decision.  The New Year can also bring a different approach to your New Year Resolutions.  Forget the long laundry list of 'stuff' you think you should change, most of it generated by the 'holiday hangover'.  Avoid failure, and go for the gold in 2008, by focusing on one dream that you truly, passionately would love to achieve in this lifetime.  If you're driven to make multiple resolutions - make one really big life-changing resolution, and a few smaller resolutions.  That way you won't set yourself up for failure by making a long list of unrealistic resolutions!  Instead, be realistic, be committed, and go for it one day at a time.   

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!

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

I Resolve To™ . . . Give Thanks This Week & All Year Long! - Day 321

Happy Monday - Happy Thanksgiving!!  Yes, the holidays are officially here this week.  I love this time of the year.  I have a turkey thawing in my refirgerator and I've started my holiday shopping, so I'm definitely feeling the holiday spirit. 

'Yep', this time of the year between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day can be crazy busy and stressful - if you let it be so.  But there is an alternative.  What if you organize yourself, make lists, pace yourself, make some time just for you, don't try to be superwoman/superman, know it will all get done, enjoy what you're doing while you're doing it?!? 

Sometimes we take things far too seriously.  Sometimes we we make things harder than they need to be.  Knowing that it is a stressful time of the year - each one of us has our own stress triggers - why not slow down just bit, as life speeds up.  Take a deep breath, relax, meditate, take a walk, get some exercise, stop by your favorite coffee shop for a cookie a coffee treat.  The first step toward combatting the stress is to acklowledge and understand it, then take steps to reduce it.

I've been preaching of late about 'tips' to 'get it all done' and enjoy the journey while we're at it.  With that in mind, I have one other 'tip', a reminder:   count your blessings, all that you have, all that you are.  Being grateful is a wonderful way to add some joy to your day.  Show those wonderful people (and pets) who inhabit your life, and make your days special, that you truly care.  Show that you appreciate and love them.  That is sure to make your day and theirs, as well!  And don't forget about your dreams during this busy time of the year - don't shove them to the back burner where they will simmer through the holidays.  Keep your dreams, resolutions and goals front and center if only for 20-to-30-minutes each day!  Keep taking one small step at a time, one day at a time . . .

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!

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

I Resolve To™ . . . Make Steady Progress! - Day 320

Pace yourself this holiday season!  That's my mantra between now and January 1.  Some years I'm way ahead of the curve and the whole process seems effortless.  More recently, last year for instance, I sent out my holiday cards in January, and scrambled to get things done all the way up to Christmas Day.  Hence my decision this year to just work steadily, systematically through my list of 'Things To Do' - and definitely 'not' get stressed about what isn't done.  It will all get done.  Join me in reminding yourself of that small, but important fact:  The important things get done during the holiday season.  Maybe everything doesn't work 'perfectly', but things do work out.

With that in mind, amidst a bunch of work and creative projects, today I decided to hop online and order a good share of my 'distance' gifts for friends and family.  I created my 'wish list' of things that I wanted to give to loved ones, and I'm working my way through.  That said, 'working my way through' doesn't mean it's a chore.  I enjoy the 'giving part' of the holidays much more than the 'getting part' because I have so much 'stuff' and I truly do feel blessed in my life.  I also love the 'giving' part of the holidays because it's a way to say 'thank you, I love You' to those people who matter the most in your life.  Fortunately my family and friends understand.

This holiday season, why not join me in taking a measured pace so that you can enjoy the journey, actually 'enjoy the holidays'.  I'm making steady progress.  You will too.  Enjoy!

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!

Kim M. Simpson - November 18, 2007
Copyright © I Resolve To™ . . . * All Rights Reserved