Happy New Year!

I don't know about you, but I love a new year. Over time I have welcomed New Years Day for many reasons. Sometimes I was so sick of the year that had just passed and so unhappy in my life and relationships, that I couldn't wait for January 1st to come. Sometimes the year was an exciting adventure where I learned a lot, spent time with people I loved, and enjoyed my life. Occasionally the year was just okay, a year where life was mixed, and I was just moving along without a lot of big changes.

This year has been wonderful for me. This is partly due to all of you. Yes, you! I'd like to let you know how grateful I am that there are others out there who struggle with relationships and want to know how to make them better. This tells me that everything I have gone through in my life to got me here today, was worth it. Thank you for that!

One thing I do every year, whether the year sucked, or the year rocked, is take an inventory of what I have accomplished. I feel a large groan from some of you, so I want to emphasize that this is an inventory of accomplishments, not failures. What I'd like you to do is write down at least 10 things that you accomplished this year. If you feel you haven't accomplished a lot this year begin with things like, "I managed to stay alive the whole year." Feel free to be as facetious as you want. Another might be, "I fed my cat every day this year." These are accomplishments. If you start with the small or silly, and keep thinking, I know you can come up with at least 10 things you did.

After I finish this inventory, I set goals for the next year. Now, I am not talking about things like organizing your house or losing weight. What I am talking about are Wildly Improbable Goals or WIGS. If you have read Finding Your Own North Star by Martha Beck, PhD. you will know what these are. These are your absolute wildest, craziest, most seemingly impossible, dreams for your future. Take the same journal or notebook you wrote your accomplishments in, and write down at least 5 Wildly Improbable Goals for 2008. These can be anything you want. One word of caution about these, BE CAREFUL THEY MIGHT HAPPEN!

The reason I know this, is about a year ago, I jokingly made a WIG about owning a retreat center. Now I didn't think this out, or even really check with myself to see if this was really what I wanted. About a month later, I was directly on the path of buying the place, and I had to really sit down with myself and figure out that I had other goals that were much more authentic for me. So if your WIG is that Prince Charming will show up and you will live happily ever after, make sure you have done your own work, so that you will recognize him when he shows up!

One of my WIGS is that you get what your heart desires in 2008.

Marquita