's last motd for 2010

[Guest guest]

I

RESOLVE

Friday, 31 December 2010

Monday

night, during our Clubhouse Chat, I asked everyone to

write down their New Year's resolutions. I told them to

think about their resolutions for a few minutes before

making their lists. I wanted them to put some real

thought into those resolutions and not to rush.

(They're so important!)

When I was growing up back in New Orleans, my father

made his list of resolutions every New Year's. He'd sit

at his desk and I watched as he made his list. When

finished, he'd look it over, fold it in half and

place the list in his wallet. And over the course of

the year, I noticed that my father would, every now and

then, take the list from his wallet and look over it.

One day, I asked my father, what he'd written and why he

kept looking over it all the time. He told me, "Dicky,

I make a list of New Year's resolutions every year.

They're like promises I make to myself at the

beginning of each year. And you see me reviewing my

list so often because I'm checking to see how well I'm

doing keeping the promises I've made. You should do

it, too."

Well, you know what? I took my father's advice and now,

every year, I do just like I used to see him doing. I

sit quietly at my desk and first look over the

resolutions I made from the previous year. (Which I

keep on my desk the whole year. I'm checking to see how

many of the promises I kept.) After reviewing how well

I did last year, I then begin making my brand new list

of resolutions for the new year.

So in this week's Chat, we discussed our resolutions for

2011. And I want to share with you some of the

resolutions our Clubhouse members made. I'm hoping that

their great resolutions may inspire some of yours.

Many of them said they'd like to find a new job. They

feel stuck in their old ones or the jobs they have now

don't pay enough. I know the job market is tight right

now, but if you were to go looking for a new job, what

would it be? Others said they wanted to go back to

school. (Hmmm, if I decided to go back to school...what

would I study?) There were a few people who said they

wanted to learn a new language in 2011. (How many of

you speak French or Italian?) I was surprised to see

how many people said that next year they want to

declutter their homes. (A few of them even admitted to

being hoarders.) And then there were those who said

they'd like to do more volunteer work so they can

help those in need.

And okay, (probably no surprise here), but the majority

of my Clubhouse members said they wanted to lose weight

and get in better shape for 2011. Is that what you

want, too? Then include it on your list and, if I were

you, I'd put it at the top of my list.

Then I would take that list and keep it on my desk. Or,

I'd fold it in half and put it away inside my wallet,

just like my father used to do. And remember, you

should think of the resolutions you make, those goals, those

promises...as sacred.

Love,