1. Choose One Word for 2008.

Christine Kane has a better way for you to start your year: choose a word.

Just one word.

That’s it.

And this word will be your guiding focus for the next 12 months.

Last year, I chose the word courage. Looking back, I think I’ve done pretty well. I faced my fear of talking to strangers over and over and even made friends with a few. I also kept stretching the boundaries of my comfort zone by doing new things like getting my driving license, and facing my fear of heights by jumping off trees.

I achieved a lot, but I also pushed my health to its limits. I kept getting remarks about how tired I looked, and knew I had to do something to take care of myself. So this year my word will be vitality and health will be my primary focus.

Vitality is my word for 2008Capoeira Arte Brasileira by Fábio Pinheiro.

What’s your word for 2008?

2. Know What’s Important

For any goal-setting and time management to work, it must be personalized to meet your individual values. Have you discovered what’s truly important in your life yet? If not, you might find yourself climbing the ladder of 2008, sometimes very productively, only to find it was leaning against the wrong wall.

Life’s too short, you don’t want to be distracted by the sirens of the urgent, the glossiness of the meaningless, and lose sight of the important.

What’s important to you?

Is it your family? Achievement? Health? Wealth? Security?

If you’re thinking right now of something material, like a car – ask yourself why that’s important. Is it because you feel it brings you status, or freedom, or happiness?

Know what’s importantPhoto by MegElizabeth.

Goals are tangible, values are abstract. Reaching your goals bring you achievement, but living in alignment with your values brings you fulfillment.

Keep it simple. Discover or decide on your top 5 towards values; things you want most. Then discover or decide on your top 5 away from values; things you do not want most.

Your values will be your guiding light for the year 2008. They will serve as your ultimate litmus test; whenever something comes up your values will help you say yes or no to a new commitment. Ultimately, you want to work only on what’s truly important to you.

(Here’s another way to make sure the important gets done.)

3. Lose the Dead Weight – Simplify & Slow Down

Simplify your life in 2008Sketch Zen by tico24.

There is no place in your life for anything that does not support you.

If it does not bring more joy, beauty & happiness into your life, throw it out.

If you haven’t seen, used or thought about it for months, you already don’t need it – you just have to accept that you can live without it.

Drop the dead weight.

Unclutter your life, emotionally, physically, mentally, socially, spiritually.

Simplify, simplify, simplify.

When you do that, you’ll find a lightness of mind and clarity of thought. What you thought used to be a big deal drops away, while you’re better able to focus on the truly important without distraction.

There’s only so much time, there’s only so much space, there’s only so much attention.

Choose to spend it on the important, the beautiful and the uplifting. Only keep that which brings more positivity, effectiveness & fulfillment in your life. Keep your life lean, light – make it a graceful pirouette instead of a thumping, mad rush.

What do you no longer need in the new year?