Wishing You All a Successful and Astounding 2008!

Wishing everyone a healthy, happy, successful and astounding 2008! Clients are always talking about being "successful". "I want to be successful", "I don't feel like I'm a success", "how can I be more successful". It's one of those words that people use all the time nowadays in different ways. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote one of my favorite descriptions of success.

"To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch....to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!" Ralph Waldo Emerson

And of course my favorite quote this season is by Thomas Alva Edison.

"If we did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves." Thomas Alva Edison

Wishing you all a successful and astounding year!
Rebecca "Kiki"

Barnes and Noble Finding Focus/Writing Workshop + Juno

The next Barnes and Noble Finding Focus/Writing Workshop will be on January 15th at 7:00pm. Bring your thoughts, projects, blocks, gripes, friends and anything else you'd like. The last one was terrific and honestly each one is so full of information, insights, tips and motivation that I'm blown away by it each and every time. If you have any questions or challenges you'd like me to cover please email them to me before the 14th and I'll see how I can work it in.

Now for those of you who've been missing your fix and asking for movie and book recs for the holidays, here's the story (no pun intended). I haven't seen that much lately and my reading material this last month has been gorging on magazines while getting ready for the next batch of texts I have to read come January-ish. (Cinema Editor, Animation, Moviemaker, Scientific American Mind, Esquire(it's the What I Learned issue) and Outside are all great this month. Of course there's always the usual suspects as far as women's mags, fashion mags and of course the Brit rags...)

As for movies, I loved Juno and would definitely put that on my list. I'm probably going to see it again to analyze how the filmmakers did it. What's the big deal? Well, one of the hazards of the profession as a creative writer and being trained in any medium is that you tend to have a hard time just being an observer or consumer of it. (Believe me you haven't lived until you've gone to the movies with a filmmaker and had to sit in the front row so you could FEEL each cut. The memory of it still makes my neck ache and it's been years.)

I still love,love, love the experience of film, drama and reading and it informs my personal work and the work I do with clients on their stories and storytelling issues and challenges. While seeing Juno though, I had an experience that I haven't had in a long time. I didn't notice a lot of what I'm usually tuned into. The story just swept me away, and while I usually go to the movies when it's not too crowded I found myself in a fairly crowded theatre in Union Square with a very mixed crowd of people of all ages and everyone loved it. People laughed out loud. People wept. (Ok -guilty on both counts - but knowing me when it comes to weeping at the movies it's not a matter of "will she?" but "so? was it a three-hanky? one box of tissues? a bed sheet?").

When I work with storytellers of all kinds in many mediums I always stress the character elements. The plot is the plot - in an interview in the current issue of Cinema Editor Magazine Nic Roeg said mentioned the fact that fairly early on people have already seen the 38 plots there are. (Great interview by the way with his long-time editor). It's the truth. There are so many plots and different permutations of them. There's got to be more.

What keeps you there? What makes you care about the characters? What makes you not stand up and walk out in the middle? The struggle to know your characters and make others feel for and with them whether they're "good" or "bad" is a constant one but when you've got it - it's heaven to work on. When a filmmaker gets that it's heaven to watch the film.

Juno is that kind of film. It's the oldest story in the book. 16 year old girl gets pregnant, what will she do? But the characters and the way they're drawn, fleshed out and portrayed is terrific. I really just dove right into the story and when I was talking about it later realized I didn't know how the filmmakers had done x,y, or z. That hasn't happened to me in a long time. I don't know if it's the movies out there lately or me. Jason Reitman who did "Thank You For Smoking" (another terrific film) did an amazing job directing this one. Great and interesting characters, great dialogue, great conflicts, great acting. Great storytelling.

Because I cannot let it go without comment. Will Smith is NO legend as far as I'm concerned. Enough said.

Enjoy the movies and let me know what you've seen and how you liked it!

Enjoy the day,
RK

Meltdown 2007 - Individuals, Groups and the Planet

While the holiday season is supposed to be full of good cheer...OK let me start that one over again with something a bit more realistic like -

Why is the holiday season so difficult? That's the question that most people have been asking me whether in session or via email or phone, I even got an "aaaaargh" text. Nothing else just "argh". I understood completely. Sometimes, to misquote the lyrics, "argh is all you need".

Everyone has their own specific reasons for finding some elements of the holiday season difficult. For some people the shopping for gifts brings on hives, for some the too-much-togetherness can trigger anxiety, resentment and/or unresolved anger, for some the memory of lost loved ones can elicit tears and seasonal depression.

Throw in a dollop of relentless cheeriness coming at you from all sides, ruminating on the year that's on its way out and formulating resolutions for the coming year. This year I will definitely ___________ and I must ___________. Now I may not be a big one for cooking but what you've got there is a sure recipe for a meltdown.

But being me I couldn't let it go at that - there was something niggling at the back of my mind because 2007 seemed to bring out more meltdown situations and feelings in people than the previous few years. So I asked myself the question....what is going on? Beyond the usual meltdowns which can happen and invariably do at some point or another. That's just life - sometimes it all happens too fast/too much/too slow/too too/too _____.

I had a couple of thoughts regarding technology overload, society, delayed post 9/11 reactions, PTSD in returning soldiers, changing culture and norms and more....and they all made sense. Then I did a google search for "meltdown 2007" and this article from Science News Portrait of a Meltdown which describes the arctic meltdown of 2007 came up. Apparently, the ice meltdown in the Arctic this year is the largest ever. Hmmmmm - is there a connection?

I think there is. I'm a firm believer that we're all creatures of the planet (not to mention habit, learning, etc.) and when something is affecting our earth it effects us. How about this? Last week I was walking down the block in my neighborhood in Brooklyn and I saw two raccoons taking a little walk. Raccoons!! And no, they're not usually in the neighborhood. And during the last few years tropical birds have made their homes in the trees around here too. Something is going on around us and it affects us.

So if you're having your own meltdown - there are ways to deal with it depending on the circumstance. But pay attention to the meltdowns around you.
Are the people around you melting down and that's causing you to feel meltdown-prone?
Is the societal cheeriness and meltdown causing you extra anxiety or meltdown-y feelings?

Try and figure out which elements are your personal meltdown and which are coming at you from the outside. The external elements can affect you but if you're aware of them and prepare for them, you can find yourself sailing through the holidays with good feelings and optimism for the new year. (Of course there might still be some negative thoughts or feelings - you are human.)

Meanwhile - a quick soapbox moment - let's all figure out what we can do individually and as a country/planet to save our nature. Literally.

Enjoy the day!
RK

Reading the Mind Of the Body Politic - WSJ and The Neuroethics Society

Here it comes...Big Brother is so here and it should scare everyone. Really everyone. As soon as people start using information about how brains work to predict how one might behave, we're all in big trouble. Individually and collectively, no matter what group, race, country, denomination you belong to.

Reading the Mind Of the Body Politic ran in the Wall Street Journal last week and I've been so bothered by it I couldn't let it pass without comment. A description of the article reads "A wave of research suggests political decisions often occur at the subliminal level. Alexandra Alter reports on how neuromarketers and political strategists are focusing on an uncharted electoral frontier--the brain."

Neuromarketers? Did you catch that phrase? I've known this was coming for a while now but it's scarier to read about it in the Wall Street Journal then to discuss it, and possible solutions for it, with colleagues who study the brain and mind.

The article begins with "during last Sunday's Republican presidential debate in Miami, Mitt Romney declared he was the only candidate who had stopped talking about universal health care and "actually got the job done." Across the country, in San Francisco, five volunteers watched the debate while wearing electrode-studded headsets that track electrical activity in the brain.

When Mr. Romney said the words "got the job done," there was a pronounced shift in activity in their prefrontal lobes. "They liked what they were hearing," said Brad Feldman, an analyst with EmSense Corp., the company that conducted the test."

They might very well have liked what they were hearing. The analysts at EmSense may have gotten that right. But what will they DO with their feelings? With their thoughts? With their reactions?

I love all the new technology that is uncovering the workings of the brain. I love it, I study it and it informs the work that I do. Really, I love it, love it, love it. I've met neuroscientists who are doing the most fantastic work on the brain from monitoring how people react while watching movies to the biochemistry and psychobiology of PTSD and offspring of people who have suffered from PTSD. Great stuff - really - I can't get enough of it. But when people start using the information to predict and say with certainty what an individual, or groups of individuals will actually do - we're getting into dangerous territory.

Imagine if every one of your nasty thoughts and feelings was registered. Every time you thought about what you'd like to do to so-and-so and the revenge you were going to take on such-and-thus. Imagine if you were judged by your thoughts - some of which you weren't even aware of...ok - you can stop now. Way too scary.

Enter a newly founded group called The Neuroethics Society (of which I'm a member). The society was founded in May of 2006 and is "an interdisciplinary group of scholars, scientists and clinicians who share an interest in the social, legal, ethical and policy implications of advances in neuroscience".

Check it out and keep posted about the work that they're doing for all of us. (Martha Farah was quoted in the WSJ article.) We must all of us start paying attention NOW to make sure that the advances in neuroscience are used in responsible ways socially, legally, ethically, and politically.

Whew! Exhausted from that little stint on the soapbox but I just couldn't let the article pass without comment. Now....if only you could have all read my mind about what I thought of it I wouldn't have had to write it down here...but then you might have heard some of the things I didn't want to say out loud, some of the personal thoughts that I didn't want to share....

Finding Focus Beats Boredom - Scientific American Mind

The proof is in the article. Thank you Scientific American Mind for explaining how Finding Focus is one of the greatest things you can do for yourself and your life.

Ok - so we're ahead of our time here. What can I tell you? Our "Finding Focus" Seminars which I developed have been running for quite a while and continue to be a tremendous success. People walk out feeling more focused, more energized, looking at their routines and habits in a new way. Participants FIND new FOCUS in their work, creative endeavors, careers, hobbies, futures, whatever it is they choose to focus on. "Finding Focus" workshops have been ongoing at Barnes and Noble for a few years and writers, future-writers, blocked writers and creatives of all kinds have found themselves energized and inspired, and productive in ways they hadn't been.

The article in Scientific American is Bored? by Anna Gosline. It's full of information, a little boredom quiz, a short description of boredom in the brain as well as sources for further reading.

I believe and know that when you focus on what's important to you and you move forward in whatever direction that takes you, you don't bore easily. I also know that it isn't always easy to figure out what it is that you want to do. Really want to do.

Often when coaching clients a big part of our work is uncovering the layers of "should do", "what x or y wants me to do", "what I always thought I should do", "what I always believed I was meant to do", "what society believes I should do", "what's best for me to do", "what's easy for me to do" (and more) and getting to "this is what I really want" and "this is what's right for me".

Finding Focus helps you in the short run and in the long run. Do it for yourself. Find your personal focus. Live the life you want to live. The one you know deep in your heart you were always meant to live. Live your life.

For more info on Finding Focus Workshops and Seminars and how to arrange for one for your company or group feel free to contact me at kiki at dailylifeconsulting dot com or Jill Evans at jill at gtkgroup dot com.

What She Learned This Year - You Might Want to Too...(from Rachel C. Weingarten)

Wow - I know she's my sister and I might be biased but this is absolutely a terrific post from the blog of Rachel C. Weingarten author of Career and Corporate Cool(TM). Read about the things she's learned this year about friendship, love, success, work, health and much more.... I learned a lot and it got me thinking....


*Never take your health for granted because just when you think that life has cut you a break, it pulls the rug out from under you.

*Dream big and make your reality even bigger, and after you do that, shrug it off as just a fluke and try even harder the next time.

*Don't stay friends with people just because you've been friends with them forever. People change and when they're bad to themselves, chances are at some point they'll become bad to you as well.

*Don't be afraid to tell someone you love them, even if you know it won't work out. Sometimes it's a gift to yourself to remember that you are in fact capable of deep love.

*Some years are financial successes, some are personal or professional successes, it doesn't all happen every year.

*Don't become so terrified or overwhelmed by a milestone that you lose sight of the before and after.

*Don't trust the universe more than you trust yourself, the cosmos may conspire against you, but you should always keep trying.

*Don't make things look so easy that people resent you, Don't make things look so hard that people think that they can't help or don't matter.

*Laugh at yourself- because the human condition when not horrifically painful, is fairly amusing.

*Live by your own definition of success.

What have you learned in 2007?
Stay Cool!
Rachel
Visit Cool Quotient

Re-Grouping and Re-Charging for Evening Work Hours

Question -

Thanks for your guidance, Kiki.

Burnout is a periodic issue for me and a lot of the questions I have are
already addressed in questions above. Here's another issue on which I could
use your advice:

With three small children in the house, most of the writing portion of my
work occurs at night, which enables me to use any child care hours/nap time
during the day to interview sources or talk via phone with editors. But some
days by 9 pm my brain is on cruise control, at best. There's little creative
spark left in my daily dose, unless I drink lots of coffee to perk up (which
is what I typically do), which then keeps me up nearly all night. Good for
work, bad for sleep. Lack of sleep, of course, can quickly lead to burnout
on all fronts.

Do you have any recommendations for people who have to work odd hours as to
how they can re-group (other than highly caffinating!) and re-charge for
evening work hours? Or how would you recommend shifting a work schedule
where caring for small children dominates daytime hours (keeping in mind I
am not a morning person, so getting up before these early birds is not an
option!)


My Answer

Of course my first suggestion would be to wake up before the kids but since that's not an option we've got to figure something else out.

First of all, cut yourself some slack and realize that you're in a tough situation with small children around and a business to attend to which includes "being on" both verbally and intellectually. Tough stuff. But it won't be this way forever so it's a matter of organizing your time now to get through it the best you can.

A couple of suggestions - first of all, could you use one of the children's nap times as a nap time for yourself? Biologically our bodies do better with a nap in the afternoon. That might decrease your caffeine need, which you're right about - it can cause jitters, sleeplessness, anxiety if overused.

Another thought comes to mind as I put my teacher's cap on. Play teacher. I don't know how old the children are but try and prepare some activities for them that they can do on their own (it might take some planning of materials but once you get the hang of it it's pretty easy - collage, cutting and pasting, easy needlepointing, books on tape, puzzles, writing and illustrating their own books) which might free up some writing time for you during the day and cut back on the night time work.

Remind the children that they can't disturb you unless it's an emergency - (outline what those are!) and set aside a few minutes after the activity to look at it and all around oooh and aaah and tell you about it - that will motivate them to do it again. You can also have them be part of the planning process - shopping for the materials, putting it on a calendar, getting "rewards" for a completed job or a job well done.

Hope this helps - good luck and let me know how it goes!
Kiki

Is It Burnout?

Question -
Hi Kiki,
Thank you for coming to our rescue.

If you just sit and stare at the computer screen, with deadlines looming,
and are unable to decide what to do next, is that burnout? If so, what is
the solution?

My Answer -

Hmmmm - that's a tough question because it could be burnout but it could be a number of other things as well. We'd need to explore a couple of things first of all to find out if it's burnout, or writer's block or a situational or seasonal thing, if something's going on in another area of your life or how you're feeling about your writing life in general and the project you need to be working on, in particular.

Whew! Then we could start to come up with some solutions to the problem. What I would suggest as a start is to get up and walk away from the computer for a while if you can so that you don't start to connect the computer with the feelings of frustration which might make it harder to approach it in the future. Another thing you might try is using the computer to begin to explore what's going on. Ask yourself some of the above questions - and start typing away - do some automatic writing and you might find that some of your answers will find their way into words.

Putting the thoughts and feelings into words is the first step to becoming aware of them, understanding them and discovering solutions - the ways to implement the solutions is a step further down the road but sometimes all you need is a jolt of energy in the right direction and finding some answers is a good way to liberate some of the energy that's tied up while you're sitting and staring....

Hope this helps - feel free to email or call,
Best,
Kiki

"Go-To-Girl" Syndrome - Q&A

As promised - I'm posting the questions I didn't get to answer on the board. If you didn't get your email reply please let me know and I'll send it on over the ether.

Question -
Kiki,
Nice to see you here.
I suffer from what I call "go-to-girl" syndrome. I agree to last-minute
assignments, deadlines that are moved up, projects that grow beyond the
original scope (with pay) because I like being the one editors count on. But
it takes its toll. I'm crazed right now. Maybe I don't need to be so
available and agreeable, but how do I change?


My answer -

Ok - you mention a couple of things " I like being the one editors count on" and
"Maybe I don't need to be so available and agreeable" and "but how do I change". You also mention that all this takes its toll.

Ok - one thing at a time because it's a multifaceted issue. But we'll use your question as a guidepost. "How do I change?" Well, that depends on why you want to change. Not need - that's clear by the "it takes its toll". What you do want is to be the one the editors can count on.

Is there another way to be this person - perhaps a modified version with new limits set by you and still be the one they count on? How might you go about doing that? What are some new boundaries and "B's Rules" that you could let them know about at the beginning of a project? And of course you're letting them know this in the nicest, most professional way. "I'm happy to do x,y,or z however....." which lets them know that you're available to be the go-to-person but in a new way.

The other question to ask yourself is why you want to be the one they count on. If it's strictly financial - you have your answer and making the change is more of an intellectual and time-management, stress-management one. If there's something else going on - such as an emotional need or habit to be the one people can rely on then the changes will have to include an internal component including some thought about how that came to be part of your makeup and whether it's still something you need and/or want.

Hope this helps as a starting off point - keep me posted!
Kiki

Burnout!

Burnout. What a terrible situation to find yourself in. You started out doing something because you thought you'd love it/would be good at it/were born to do it/wanted to ____,_____, or ________ . Maybe you accomplished what you set out to do. Maybe you still want to continue doing it or maybe you've just stopped dead in your tracks and can't take ONE MORE SECOND of it. You're exhuasted, have no interest in an area that you used to love, can't get out of bed in the morning, dread it and/or anything connected to it.

Burnout can hit hard but there are steps you can take to prevent burnout, to energize yourself while in the midst of being burnt out yet still required to do the job that burnt you out, and ways to energize and get out of a burnout situation.

I had the great pleasure this week of doing a q&a session on a message board. The message board is for a profession that can have a high rate of burnout. Many of these people are small business owners/entrepeneurs, a role which requires inordinate amounts of work and work hours as well as intellectual involvement in the business. In short, it can be a 24/7 situation. I will add that they are an extremely smart and motivated bunch of people and I was interested to hear the kinds of issues they were dealing with and how I might be able to assist.

It was great! The questions came hard and fast and there were so many that I didn't get to finish all of them in the alloted time. As promised I answered the rest later in the day and will post them here.

Some of the issues that came up included life changes that cause burnout, behavioral habits that made it difficult to "just say no" to business requests which can lead to a work overload, ways to re-energize during the day/week/year, work-life balance when working from home, work-life balance when working from home and being primary caretaker of small children, work-life balance when work becomes a 24/7 proposition,
feelings of anxiety and the imposter syndrome when doing work that involves constant reinvention of one's self and one's craft.

I was energized when we were done and I had lots to think about, which I'll share here as I consolidate my thoughts on the issue. I'd like to thank everyone there who shared their questions and concerns and also to all of you who emailed after with thanks and kind thoughts and words. I always appreciate hearing from you!

December Doldrums, Decisions and Dilemmas

Ok - I got emails asking if the New Year's Resolutions exercise below should be completed in one day or one weekend. Aaaaack! No - just thinking about doing it that way makes me feel overwhelmed. Slow and steady. Take it slow and steady. Making changes is a marathon not a sprint. Slooooooow and steady. At your own pace. (More on that later in this post.)

I also got some questions about how I developed the 5Ws approach and as I've said often, so much of what I learned about coaching I learned by teaching first grade. Break down the big picture and goals into small, easier to achieve pieces. Take it slow. Work at your own pace. Forgive yourself mistakes. If it doesn't work the first time, try it again. Practice. Practice. Practice. Celebrate your achievements and successes. It's so simple it actually works.

This time of year can be very tough. Lots to do. Lots of holiday cheer, which is great if you're feeling 100% cheerful but I've got to tell you that just about everyone I've been working with and coaching hasn't been feeling 100% cheerful. Mmmmmmm, let's say they haven't been feeling even 95% cheerful. All milestones, holidays and any other big
events bring with them mixed feelings. Tension as well as excitement. Happiness as
well as sadness and poignancy. Exuberance as well as apprehension. Many people get blindsided when they think it will be all good and they won't feel anything negative.

The best thing to do is acknowledge everything that's going on which will assist you in dealing with it all and getting through it well. If the holiday shopping scene makes you want to scream, if planning for the holidays makes you break out in a cold sweat, if there are people who you miss more around this time of year, if there are goals or milestones you would have liked to have achieved by now but haven't, if you're feeling burned out, stressed out, shaken down or just plain exhausted - take a breath and acknowledge it. It's the first step to making adjustments and feeling better.

We've been doing a lot of that here and as you can imagine, it's not always easy but it's always worthwhile and feels just terrific when achieved. People feel a sense of empowerment as opposed to feeling overwhelmed. In control as opposed to out of control.

A few quick tips.

* Leave yourself plenty of extra time to accomplish things.
Don't pencil in 60 minutes to do something that takes an hour for you to do. Figure an extra 15-20 minutes to account for human error, technological snafus, traffic or transportation snags, the sniffles or a bad mood.

* Don't expect perfection.
Things will go wrong - it's just the way it is. Do the best you can and give yourself credit for doing the best you can.

* Rethink your holiday celebrations and expectations.
Are you doing the same things you always do because you always do them? Sometimes that seems like the simple way to go about doing things but it might be time for a change. If you've changed then the same routines might not work for the new you. Make adjustments.

* Treat yourself well.
When you feel you're about to hit overload - stop what you're doing and take a breather. Pay attention to what happened and plan ahead so it doesn't happen again. Were you too tired? Did you take on too much responsibility? Were you spending too much time with people who set you off? Make adjustments.

* New Year's Resolutions - take it slow and steady.
Start by answering the first question in the 5Ws below Who, What, Where, When, Why. Who are you today and who would you like to be a year from now?
Think about health, intellectual endeavors, physical abilities, career goals, personal goals, relationship goals. Slowly. Don't do it all at once.


Do the best you can, the best way you can, this year. Forgive yourself for the things you wish you could do differently or better or more or.....and as always - enjoy the moments you can this year because quite simply, this year won't pass this way again....

Be good to yourself - email or post any questions or comments. I love hearing from you!

RK

Any Time Of Year Resolutions

In the flurry of activity leading up to the holidays I've been particularly busy doing a lot of corporate seminars and one on one stress management coaching with people who are burnt out or who seem antsy to start their New Year's resolutions- before the New Year. I'll be updating with more tips and thoughts on changing behavior, but in the meantime will share some of my tips on resolutions (that previously appeared on About.com)

Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: Up to You!
Here's How:

1. Use the 5W System
As you answer the 5W questions below, jot them down in a journal you’ll be starting especially for this. Keeping a journal can often help in answering the 5Ws and helping you keep your resolutions. The journal will give you a starting point aside from January 1st to refer to. A week or a month from now you can see how much progress you've made and decide if you’re happy with your progress, or lack thereof. You can continue from there. You can modify your tactics and start differently. Or you can start again using different techniques that fit your lifestyle better.
2. The 5Ws? Simple. Who, What, Where, When and Why.
Who are you today and who would you like to be a year from now?
Why do you want to make the change? Emphasis on YOU.
What changes in behavior and shifts in attitude will you need in order to make the changes and achieve your goal?
Where can you get support to help you make the change? People, books, Web sites, journals etc.
When is the best time of day/week/year for you to make the change? To evaluate the change? To take action toward achieving the change?
3. A couple of tips to help you answer the "Why" for YOU.
You've decided you want to make a change. Think about the change you've decided you want to make. You. Yes, you. Not anyone else who wants a change from you. Just you. Think about it. It's okay, you can say, "I want to _______". If you need to write it down and burn it before anyone sees it, that's also okay. If you want to send yourself an e-mail describing it, try that. Whatever works. Now that you've decided what it is that you'd like to do/be/achieve, there's another step to take before planning the "How."
4. Why do you want _________________________?
Find a place and time where you can sit quietly and think and have a real conversation with yourself or with your coach. Explore the reasons. Sure there are the first few surface/off the cuff that come to mind easily. Dig deeper. Keep asking yourself why until you've gotten to the real reason you want to achieve your goal.
5. Once you've figured out the "Why" it's easier to schedule and sort out the rest. You'll know the end result you're trying to achieve. By answering the Who, What, Where and When you'll be able to schedule the small tasks needed to make the change into your schedule. Why? Why not? Why shouldn't you have the best year you've ever had before? Can you think of one good reason? I didn't think so.
6. Go for it! Out with the old and in with the new. Happy New Year!


What You Need:

* Journal Suppplies : a notebook, pen/pencil or a computer
* New Year's Resolutions Supplies: Your wishes, goals, hopes and dreams
* Strategy Supplies: Your strengths and limitations