I had a really great Christmas weekend. It was the first time in quite some time that I had a taken a group of days off and took the time to really enjoy my family and friends, work around the house, do the little things that I don’t always make as much time for as I would like. The major holiday of the year is past us, now we are closing in on the end of the year. By its nature this is a reflective time of year where we look at where we have been and where are we going. I want to finish well.
My daughter asked for a tractor and farm animals for Christmas, not what I was expecting, but Santa got the message. Thanks Auntie Kendra for the delivery
For me part of finishing well is making time for setting goals in the New Year. As we enter into this last week of the year there is always talk of New Years Resolutions. Resolutions are great, but I think to really gain perspective they have to be evaluated goals. Where have I been? Where am I at? Where am I going? These are the questions I try to ask myself. There are a lot of aspects of my life that I make part of this process: personal, spiritual, relationships, physical and business.
While we don’t always know what the future holds, having some targets to shoot for has been key for my personal development. In spite of challenges or other impediments, what I do really want to achieve? What is the life I really want to live? Where can I find the resource to get me started heading in that direction? I think we should all be asking ourselves questions like these.
Even our dog, Winston, got into the Christmas spirit. Note the plate and glass in the foreground. He decided to be Santa’s helper. Winston decided to help out by eating all the cookies off the plate while we were out of the room… I guess he kind of deserved a little treat.
Looking at 2010, there will be challenges and there will be opportunities. It’s been said that life is not a sprint, it is a marathon. As you come around this corner that we call the New Year take the time to evaluate this leg of the race, finish this section well and map out where you are going.
This quote by Benjamin Franklin really struck me the other day and I thought it timely:
“Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man.”
