What Pumps You Up?

If your life were a line, such as the heart monitor, what would it look like? Does it have lots of peaks and valleys? Were there years or months when you were always up? (Up meaning on top of it all, feeling great, happy with where you were and who you were, not up as in stress level.)

Now, think about the last 6 months. Where were your peaks and valleys? What was going on? Who were you around or what were you working on?

I strongly encourage you to make the choice about how you want to live- in a peak or a valley. Recognize that it is always a choice (even if we prefer to blame it on outside circumstances). Then, take proactive steps to live in the way of your choice.

If you chose to live in a peak, or at least begin your assent, here are some recommendations:

• Choose your theme song. Something that you hear and the car accelerator goes down (not literally). You immediately get pumped up just hearing the first chord.


• Surround yourself with others who are living in peaks and stay away from those who prefer the valley (no matter who they are)


• Identify a profession or set of tasks that allow you to shine and/or challenge and conquer and/or fuel your passion, etc.... (realize how much of your life is work and how important it is that work is mostly enjoyable and keeping you in a peak)


• Have a plan for moments when a valley is around the corner- weekly yoga class, overnight retreat, friend available for dinner at your favorite restaurant, favorite exercise, etc...

How do you choose to live? How are your activities and mindset in line with that choice?

Now, put on your theme song and get ready to sour!

Recall Your Early Motivations to Foster Progress

As you are starting a new year, you are likely clearing out files and such from years past. I encourage you to take your time and review your early work for renewed inspiration.

If you are a business owner:
Review your thoughts, drawings, notes, emails and other work that you did before the start and in the beginning of your business (or a particular project).

If you are a student:
Review your early writings and other work.

If you are a parent:
Review your journal and/or thoughts of parenting before the children arrived.

If you are a professional:
Revisit items that talked about where you wanted the world to take you. What were your expectations and dreams before life got hectic.

The reason for you to do this is multi-fold:

• You'll revisit why you began the journey. What did you set out to do? Or Why?
• You'll see progress and change. Some you'll like and some you won't. Take this time to think about your new directions.
• You'll see your values, beliefs, and ideas at their rawest. Have they changed? Have you totally lost them?
• You'll get to slow down to evaluate the roses before moving forward. In doing so, you may choose a slightly different path.

Enjoy the adventure.

Make sure you are putting your best foot forward-for yourself- each and every day!

Revising the Plans of Life

I can recall being a teenager and laying out some of my future plans. Ironically, college wasn't one of them for this small-town south central PA girl. Falling in love was- to a gorgeous and hard working perfect man. I was also planning to have two children by the time I was 28.

"Wow," is all that I can say when I think back to that plan. Maybe a little "what was I thinking?" too.

Fast forward almost 20 years. I'm 34 (35 next month). I've completed both college and graduate school and have a resume that is 2 pages, condensed. The children never came along. And the perfect man hasn't either. I've realized perfection was a bit far fetched. (smile)

I've watched dear friend realize my original plan. And, I've had the pleasure to live vicariously through them- as they have through me on my very different journey.

I believe planning is great. I think goals drive us to live better. I also believe we can be headed down a path that isn't right for us at times. A wise person will analyze their plan for appropriateness at regular intervals. Is is still the right way to go? Why or why not? Revise when and if necessary.

Don't fail to realize when your path needs readjustments. Don't get caught up in "oh, but for 10 years I've wanted this, so it HAS to happen....". Be smarter than that. Stubbornness and laziness will lead you to fail every time. Don't confuse being driven, goal oriented and focused with being resistant to diversions. A great person who is all of those things also has the ability to revisit the plan, revise and reset the path.

At 34 I dedicated myself to revisiting the more social aspects of my life (versus academic and professional). I'm delighted each day I get to walk in my new path- that came a few decades behind my original plan.

Have fun with your path. Don't take it too seriously that you fail to see the larger pictures.