January 2010
Inspired Path Inc. E-Newsletter
 
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Nola Drazdoff
In This Issue
Welcome to the Future!
Inspiration for the Path
Embracing the New
Inspirational Song
Nola's Movie Pick
Useful Links
 
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Welcome to the Future - 2010!

Happy New Year! We mark this moment as we turn the page of time. As we say goodbye to another passing year, and decade, we have the chance to begin anew... again.

Life is constant renewal. The beginning of a brand new year is an excellent time to wipe the slate clean and give ourselves a fresh start.

I like to celebrate and acknowledge all that has happened in the previous year, then allow it to pass into history, let it become the inactive past and take on the new year with enthusiasm, a sense of adventure and unbridled optimism.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

~ Inspiration for the Path ~

"You can't have a new beginning without an end. The
greatest challenge for some is to actually close one door
and open another because the process isn't complete.
Let go of the past whether that be mistakes,
old problems, or a virtual hanging on to old grudges."
~ Byron Pulsifer

"No river can return to its source,
yet all rivers must have a beginning."
~ Proverb
 
"There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning."
~ Louis L'Amour
 

Embracing the New

Setting Goals to Begin the New Year


Happy New Year! Welcome to a new year and a new decade! I personally feel exhilarated and inspired at the turn of this particular year. The last year has been a tough one. This past decade, overall, hasn't been the best. A friend recently told me that this was the worst decade since the 20s for personal investing. I believe that! Yet, here we are at the turning of the year... and the decade. For me, hope is renewed. Things can be different in the future.
 
If you've known me for any length of time, you know I'm a big believer in goal setting. I've been writing formal written goals every year for over 20 years. I know for a fact that it has altered the course of my life in a powerful and profound way.
 
I first do a comprehensive review of the outgoing year. I review my previous year's goals, and check off what I have achieved or made progress on. Then, to honor and acknowledge the life that I've lived that year I make a list of all the 'significant' (to me) accomplishments and happenings of the year. These can be positive or difficult. I include it all. It's all part of what I've experienced. It all has value. Seeing it all on paper reminds me of just how much life I've lived in the past 365 days. Time is never really wasted!
 
Next, I declare a 'theme' for my upcoming year. I like to choose an issue that is 'up' for me and select it as my theme. The theme becomes a guide to help me decide how to spend my time, or to measure the success of the activities that I undertake during the year.
 
This past year, I set a theme of 'claiming my competence' which I'm happy to say served me very well. I tend to discount my skills and not give myself credit for the knowledge that I have. After declaring this as my theme, I found that in several areas of my life, I demonstrated increased competence in conducting my affairs this past year. One big area where I achieved success was in handling and directing my own investing. This is something I've tried to pay other people to do for many years, with poor results. This year, I took it over, created a comprehensive plan, executed on that plan and am totally pleased with my performance. Even better, is that I feel competent - which I had never achieved before, even if I was performing in a competent manner. I believe setting the theme helped me get to this place!
 
After declaring a theme, I set goals for all the major areas of my life:
 
Spiritual
Relationships
Health - Physical/Emotional
Finance
Family
Career
Things I want to do
Things I want to have
Things I want to be

This 'life areas' list comes from Jack Boland's Mastermind Goal Achievers Journal, which I have used for the past 22 years.

I'm not going to tell you how many pages of goals I create every year. I'd be embarrassed to admit how many goals I set. My friends are laughing as they read this because they KNOW! I find it to be a great way to motivate myself to take action. There are some goals that get checked off every year. Other goals have been on my list for years and will continue to remain there. It's about progress, not perfection. I indicate progress on the 'ongoing' goals. That feels good to me.

I can't recommend goal setting highly enough! It can really enhance and enrich your experience of life.

So get out that paper and pen (or your computer) and go to town! See what you can make of the brand, spanking new year before you!
Inspired PathLiving Blog
Each week day, I use my blog to share my thoughts and spiritual perspective on this thing called life.

Here's what one reader recently shared with me:

"Nola, just a note to let you know how much I've been enjoying your blog each day! I love and relate to so many of them!

Your writings give me something special to read and consider each day, and I make it a point to start out with that before I hit the daily job search.

I find the stories and lessons stay with me, long after I've read them. Thank you for what you do!"
 
I invite you to check it out:

www.inspiredpath.blogspot.com

Inspirational Song
Welcome to the Future

Brad Paisley

What a great song about the change and progress that is an inevitable part of this thing we call human life! I must be of a similar age to Mr. Paisley because I too remember the revelation of Pac-Man and the magical appeal of video arcades! This song celebrates the advances made in human relationships and technology as time marches on. It's also very fun to listen to!

Here is an excerpt from the song's lyrics:

My grandpa was in World War II,
He fought against the Japanese.
He wrote a hundred letters to my grandma;
Mailed em from his base in the Philippines.

I wish they could see this now,
The world they saved has changed you know
Cause I was on a video chat this morning
With a company in Tokyo.

He-e-ey...
Everyday is a revolution.
Welcome to the future.

He-e-ey...
Look around it's all so clear.
He-e-ey...
Wherever we would go and well we...
He-e-ey...
So many things I never thought I'd see...
Happening right in front of me.

You can listen to the song on Youtube at this link:
 

Welcome to the Future ~ Brad Paisley 
 

Nola's Movie Pick

THE ROOKIE

 The Rookie DVD Case

Movies are one of my favorite ways to relax and inspire myself! Many movies have profound messages for us, embedded within the stories they tell.

 

The Rookie is the true story of Jimmy Morris, a high school baseball coach from Texas, who after a failed attempt at making it to the major leagues as a young man finds that he is given a second chance to achieve his dream.


As we start a new year and celebrate new beginnings, I thought this was a perfect movie to restore our faith in the process: It's never too late for a fresh start and a new beginning.

At age 40, wWhen most major league pitchers are considering retiring, Jimmy Morris started his big league career. He beat all the odds. What starts as a way to motivate his rag-tag team of high school ball players, catapults him into facing his own fears and going after his dreams - far later in life than he ever thought possible.

This is a great movie to watch with the kids!

Watch a trailer here: The Rookie Trailer  
 
Start a new page as you dive into 2010! Whatever has come before... the good, the bad, the joy, the pain... let it pass into that dusty book called the past. Honor it for all it's gifts and then step across the threshold into what's coming next.
 
Happy, Happy New Year!
Nola Drazdoff
Inspired Path, Inc.