My Determination to Succeed

I would hate to think that 2 entries was all I had to offer this blogging experience and so here I am again. With less than two months to my fortieth birthday, I feel compelled to realign my actions with the life I have envisioned and that means I must write.

In speaking to a friend last week, we decided that since she was feeling unfocused and I was determined to treat my fortieth year as a catalyst for change, we should meet on a regular basis and encourage each other. She suggested we gather together the details of our critical plan and discuss them over coffee. Next Thursday is our first meeting.

Any motivational speaker will tell you that you should "start with the end in mind". Not an easy task, it means knowing where you are going and taking definite steps to get there. I imagine I am not alone when I say that I am not exactly sure where I want to end up in a year or five years. I have ideas and dreams and a little voice that talks me out of committing to any particular direction for any period of time. But in a few short months I will be turning 40 and much like the resolutions we make on January 1 and books and clothes purchased at the start of a school year, this feels like a time for new beginnings. Knowing that most new year resolutions are doomed to failure, I have tried to create an atmosphere of potential success by giving myself the entire 40th year to create lasting change.

This morning I jotted down the beginnings of a plan. My husband and I have been seriously discussing a year of travel starting in January of 2011. My plan for 2010 must take our 2011 lifestyle into consideration. How will I create an income, doing what I love (art), while on the road. My normal plan of action would be to move along at an alarming pace, wondering where the days have gone, lamenting the passage of time and my lack of control. Not this time. As challenging as it may be, I am going to trust that I really can decide where I am going and how I will get there. So, for now, I am going to head downstairs and pour a cup of tea in preparation for my 10 am Breakfast with Bob. My intention is to write again tomorrow...I guess this will be a measure of my determination to succeed.