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Glee, excitement, joy, buzz, positivity, potential, provocation, delight, elation, exhilaration - not feeling it?

2009 - the start of any new year garners a certain level of excitement for the yet to be explored opportunities, the seemingly limitless potential, all of those unknown things to come, the clean slate, the closing of one door and opening of another. But, despite the overwhelming buzz & frenzy that the new year provokes throughout the blogosphere & twitterverse, glee may not be the order of the day for everyone.

If you are one of those amongst us not quite feeling the thrilling enthusiasm about 2009, fear not, you are not alone. Whether it be an awful NYE that didn't come close to living up to the hype or be it that the flipping of the calendar from Dec 31 to Jan 01 felt just like any other day to you - there are ways you can give your positivity a boost & join the club of New Year merriment warriors!

Be reasonable
It's a New Year. Not a ticket to perfection. See the New Year for what it CAN be for YOU. Can you give yourself an emotional clean slate? Can you rearrange your environment to feel refreshed. Can you find the courage to turn the thoughts of the year past into actions for the year present? Don't be disheartened by previous failed attempts to maintain resolutions. Learn from past years, create monthly goals and make the expectations for yourself reasonable ones. You know you better than anyone - be optimistic but don't set yourself up for failure. Take baby steps, you'll be surprised at how quickly they can bring about huge change in your life.

You've Got 12 Months
There is a lot of focus on change during January and December. The start of something, the end of something. So many people make the mistake of cramming their efforts for self improvement into the beginning and ending of a year. Why not create a self improvement calendar and focus your efforts throughout the year? Make the backbone of your self improvement efforts to be the best you can be.

3 Words as Goals for 2009
This post by Chris Brogan provides a fantastic technique to give yourself motivation for the year, by using three words on which to place the focus of your efforts. Your mantra for the year to come, your guidance to see you through. Read the article & comments too, join the 3 words revolution - then scrawl them in your journal, on your wall, on your wrist. Repeat them when you feel like the universe is throwing undue negativity in your direction or when you feel like you might lose your way; use the words to keep your concentration on becoming the best you can be.

Life is Not Perfect
Think positive, live positive, but going back to the concept of being reasonable - a huge part of that concept is to understand that there will always be things happening to you or around you that are less than ideal. While the stuff-that-sucks in life will be of varying degrees of importance sometimes the accumulation of small and seemingly insignificant issues can still make it feel like the universe is having some sort of laugh at your expense.

Losing your job, the bottom falling out of your grocery bag, being cut in front of in a queue, having a sick friend or relative, your mp3 player battery dying in the middle of your favourite song, running for the bus & missing it, getting home & realising your cupboards have nothing you could use to scrape together anything that resembles a meal, the cheese in the back of your fridge being moldy, the rain drenching you on the one day you didn't bring an umbrella, living a life that looks perfect from the outside but that is so emotionally draining you just want to scream.

There are many ways to deal with the crap life throws your way - but if you can accept that only having good days and never experiencing the less than perfect side of life is an inevitability, you are half way there. Focus on losing the 'only me' victim mentality and adopt the mantra that Everything happens for a reason and something positive will eventuate.

Think > Plan > Act
2009 will only be the type of year you want it to be if you go out there and make it happen. Life isn't going to come along & happen to you, you may be surprised at detours along the way but for the most part you need to be active in creating & living your goals.

Look at the people who motivate and inspire you. Why do they? Look at their achievements and set your own goals. You need to be an active participant in your life. Lead the way and create the world you want to be a part of. Do what you want to do - make 2009 a year of action.


What are you doing to make 2009 work for you?