Happy New Year Everyone.  This is the time of year to turn over a new leaf, start that fad diet or tackle a rigid exercise routine.  A time for resolutions that will mostly be forgotten before all the seasonal bowl games are finished.   

I like to make resolutions. I’m very competitive and I look at it as a game I play against myself.  I usually only make one every year and I think long and hard about it before I commit.  Because I honestly don’t want to fail, we all want to be winners.   I usually tell anyone that will listen what my new goal is so it’s publicly out there and I’m accountable for it.  In 2009 I vowed to always take the stairs.  My massage office is on the 4th floor of my building and I usually park even higher still in the parking garage but nonetheless, up and down I trudged with gallons of lotion, 20 pound sheet bags, my purse that always includes at least one book and a wallet that could be used for a barbell. To make it worse when I would arrive in the foyer of my building the elevator doors would automatically open for me, sayin’ “Come on, ride me, you know you want to.” And I did want to, but I stayed the course.  I won in 2009.  No elevators only stairs.

2010 brought another lofty challenge.  One that perhaps some of you helped me work towards.  I pledged to try to write a postcard a day to someone.  I had tons of postcards and lots of old stamps and I thought how fun it would be to send postcards to random recipients.  We all enjoy getting mail, especially if it isn’t junk or bill related. 

Half the fun was choosing the right post card for the right person.  The responses I received were awesome.  People told me it made their day, children especially enjoyed a little surprise just for them in their mailbox.  One time I sent one to a random gift shop owner on the coast.  As we were chatting I casually picked up her business card and later mailed her a cute postcard.  When I returned several months later, there was the postcard tacked up behind her cash register.  That time it made my day.  I wish I could say I won in 2010 but my random posts ended in mid May.  Mundane life got the better of me.  I still have lots of colorful cards so if you are someone I know keep an eye out for a little missive in your mailbox and if you are someone I don’t know and would like a little randome missive, post your name and address or shoot me an email and I’ll make your day with a little love sent from Oregon.

So, here it is 2011.  My resolution this year is somewhat less concrete.  Actually, it’s not concrete at all.  It has to do with creating the life you want through visualization.  I’m a big day dreamer and I pretty much believe you can create the life you want by visualizing every detail of it in your mind’s eye.  Okay, don’t commit me to the loony farm yet.  There have been lots of studies, especially in sports, where one can increase their effectiveness by seeing a positive outcome in their mind.  I’ve seen it work for me often on the tennis court.  I visualize an ace and voila! there it is.  It’s almost scary to me to see how positive imaging affects my life.  So I decided this was the year I put it to the test and really dedicated time for it.  I perused my 400+ books, picked out the ones that would help me achieve my goal and am now publicly declaring that I will try to set aside 15 minutes a day to positive visualization.  I’m going to incorporate it into every aspect of my life and we’ll see what happens.  I want to win my little challenge in 2011.  Wish me luck.  Right now I’m going to go visualize a big piece of chocolate cake 🙂