“An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in; a pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.”—Bill Vaughn

How are you viewing the end of 2008 and the start of 2009? It’s been a tumultuous year, that’s for sure—and it doesn’t seem to be going quietly.

On her “More in You” blog, Laura Neff poses ten questions to ask yourself before letting the old year go.

Over the next few days, let’s explore the questions one by one.

The questions.

In order, they are:

1. How is where you are in life today different from where you were last December?

2. How are you different today, internally, than you were a year ago?

3. Of all you’ve experienced in the past year, what are you the most proud of?

4. What did you shy away from in 2008 that you wish you’d gone for?

5. What did you learn about yourself this year?

6. Who impacted your life the most this past year?

7. What are the most important lessons you learned in 2008 that you want to be conscious of in 2009?

8. What are you being called to next in your personal growth?

9. If you could create three things in your life the coming year, what would they be?

10. What parts of yourself will you need to call upon to create those three things with wild success in 2009?

Think about the questions, and let’s meet back here tomorrow to consider question #1.

Happy New Year, everybody!

Photo by woodleywonderworks

There’s often a lot of hoopla that goes with the ending of one year and the start of a new one, and I hope you’ll celebrate and party in the way that suits you best.

When things settle down, do yourself a favor and make time for these six ways to get your life going in a positive direction. These aren’t tied to a particular time, either—feel free to start your new year on any day you choose!

1. Make a list of your favorite moments from the last year. Keep it handy and read through it any time you feel like you aren’t accomplishing anything.

2. Spend time with your best friend. My best friend, P.J., lives in Michigan. Although we email and talk on the phone a lot, we don’t get together as often as we’d like. This year, I’m promising to make whatever effort necessary to spend some in-person time with one of the two people in the world who mean the most to me (the other being my husband).

3. Take the dog for a walk. If you don’t have a dog, borrow one. If you’re allergic, take a small child instead. Don’t walk with any purpose; meander along and observe the many unusual things that interest dogs and children.

4. Watch your favorite movie. Cry, or laugh, or both—just pick something that will make you feel good when it’s over.

5. Read (or re-read) an inspiring book. Pick up a book you’ve been meaning to read. Or think back to a book that made a big impact on your life and read it again. And it’s OK if it’s fiction—some of my most profound insights have come from novels.

6. Try something new. Whether it’s salsa dancing, or listening to opera, or eating sushi, stretch your boundaries and expand your horizons. Your mind and your body will thank you for it.

All of these things will inspire you in ways both large and small and make you feel better about yourself. By aligning your personal vibration to positive things, you’re expanding your potential and creating a full, happy and abundant life for yourself and those around you.

Happy New Year!

One of my favorite bloggers, Chris Brogan, is offering a free e-book called “Using the Social Web to FInd a Job“. It’s full of valuable information, whether you’re a small business owner, a solo-entrepreneur, or a regular wage-earner looking for a better job.

Get it now—following the advice will make your life and your work better.

Thanks to Chris for writing this and making it available.

Photo by Mr Kris

I got this idea while reading the blog Green Style Mom and it’s a dandy - so I’m shamelessly appropriating it for myself and expanding on it. And check out her blog, too - it’s interesting and fun.

So many people are worried about the economy, and non-profit organizations say donations are way down this year, so I’m going to join Green Style Mom in giving a little back. And you can help.

Sharpen your (figurative) pencil, hit the comment button, and share your thoughts about giving and which charity you choose to support. For every comment left on this post (up to a maximum of 500), I’ll donate $1 to the charity of the winner’s choice*. I’ll close the comments out on Sunday, Dec 21st, at 6 PM ET, randomly choose the winner, and make the donation—just in time for Christmas!

I’m challenging my fellow bloggers to participate—let’s make this a global blogging initiative and really make a difference. To kick it off, I’m tagging some of my favorite bloggers and asking that you share this with your readers, and think about setting up your own “give back” campaign.

The Blog Squad
Joan Stewart
Steve Roesler
Phil Gerbyshak
Drew Rozell
Andy Wibbels
MomGenerations
Scott Young
Steve Wright
Joanna Young
Marte Cliff

Pass it along!

* The charity must be a nonprofit and must be legit “ with a current, valid 501 c(3) designation from Internal Revenue Service—and be eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions under section 170 of the IRS code; or, must be a verifiable charitable fund (no “buymeaporsche.org”). I reserve the right to refuse comments that are inappropriate.

To an amazing degree, we are all creatures of habit. The things that worked for us yesterday are what we do tomorrow, and the next day, and the next year, and so on. Although we often say we want change, we tend to plod ahead down the same road, never looking anywhere except right in front of us, repeating past mistakes and failing to learn from experience. We assume that what worked last time will be the best way to handle the same situation next time. We say we value creativity, innovation, thinking “outside the box”, but do we really? Do we walk our talk, or revert to the familiar, easy path.

When Jack Welch was CEO of General Electric, he established a corporate ethic of constant change and striving to do better and required that half the company’s profits come from products and services that were less than five years old. Why? Because he knew that yesterday’s methods wouldn’t prepare the company for tomorrow’s world.

This notion of constant change that succeeded so well for GE also applies to life. As you get ready for a new year, dedicate some time – several hours, at least – and thoughtfully consider the following questions:

1. What worked best for me during the year? What surprised me, inspired me or taught me something new about myself or my life?

2. What did not work for me? What is working less well than it used to? What was less effective than I expected? What ideas or actions should I drop altogether?

3. What’s new in personal development? What are other happy and successful people doing that I should apply to my own life?

Then take action based on what you learned about yourself. Be open and committed to change, whether it’s dropping something that isn’t working, or adopting a new way of doing something.

Understand that change isn’t easy. If you’re sailing, and you want to steer a new course, all the elements will resist the course change until you’re fully committed and heading in a new direction. It may seem easier to keep going the same way, but until you push through the resistance you’ll keep going the same direction. Put yourself out there on the cutting edge of life, and see how much more rewarding it can be.

Image credit: Bernie Bernard TDI-Brooks International, Inc.