Hate to break it to you this way... but it's almost a new year. Crazy, huh?

Well, even though 2010 seems like it should be far in the future, I have started looking at it -- what I want to do, how I want to work, how can I serve -- and I have some announcements about great new programs and services I'll be offering. Pretty psyched about it. More next week.

And I'm also looking way beyond work stuff. I'm looking at life stuff. The whole picture. And making plans.

Want to make plans too?

Now, I know some of you hear the word "plans" and immediately choke up and feel all closed in and trapped and as if you have no options and someone's going to make you do stuff you don't want to do and now you feel all nervous and need to take a break, catch your breath and slow your heart rate, thank you very much.

OK, I get it.

If "plan" makes you get all heebie-jeebie, then let's think in gentler terms. Let's think of making "anticipation". Simpler, huh?

Let's take a look at your life and anticipate where you might have to pay more attention, or act. Or even do something a tiny bit in advance to prevent a larger problem.

We'll even break it down into categories to make it super easy:

Where You Live - Walk around your place with a notebook and a pencil. How's the carpet? The couch? The paint? The appliances? Anything need replacing or repair in the coming year? Anything you'd like to change? Do you even want to keep living here?

Where You Work - Anything you want to accomplish at work? Anything on your performance review that you need to take care of? A class? A certification? Want to find a new job? What do you need to have in place to do that?

Who You Love - What's the state of your most intimate relationships? What would you like to do more of? Less of? Is there something you're not doing at all, and would like to try? Need more connection? How could you get that? Want a partner? Are you acting as if that's what you want, or are you playing it cool?

How You Take Care of Yourself - How is your self-care? Are you feeding yourself - literally and figuratively - well? Will you need a physical exam, mammogram, prostate exam, colonoscopy, flu shot or dentist visit this year? Anything elective you want to attend to, like braces or plastic surgery? Are you resting enough? Is there anything you want to learn this year? Anything you want to master?

Here's a little secret I've learned -- pick one area, and improve that. Then move on to another, then another. Because when you try to do it all at once you dice up your attention into such small pieces that you can't really accomplish much. When you put your attention on one area, and it improves, other areas quite naturally follow suit.

Again, it's about anticipating. To be aware of your life and your realities and take an advance look so that you can deal with stuff effectively.

Cuz we all got stuff, don't we? But stuff doesn't necessarily have to be bad, or hit us completely out of the blue, or be unmanageable.

By anticipating -- planning a wee bit in advance -- you can take that which is tough and make it tender. You can make tomorrow happier than today.

Because when you are able to anticipate you are able to create. When you anticipate, you have the power to create, rather than just living in reaction mode. And what you are creating, through anticipation, is a happy, forward-thinking way to live.

Just like the lyrics to that old song, "We can never know about the days to come, But we think about them anyway...stay right here, because these are the good old days." They are, indeed, the good old days when you can greet them with anticipay-yay-tion.

[thank you Carly Simon]

Another one from the vault (and another reference to pop music), A Peaceful, Easy Feeling -- on making decisions -- from 2007.