Disclaimer - depending on your background, and my South African origins, you may find some of my spelling and grammar to be, well let us just say "imaginative".

 

© Wayne Botha 2009

 

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It is that time of year again. Time to reflect on 2009, think about 2010 and set New Year's resolutions. How can you make this year's annual rituals more fruitful and meaningful than past years? Here are the top tips to prepare for a prosperous and memorable 2010.

 

1. Schedule time during December to write down your plans for 2010. Put three hours on your calendar and write this heading in your personal success journal "What would I do in 2010 if this is going to be the best year of my life?" Then list twenty answers to this question.

 

2. Schedule time and create events to enjoy your family and friends. Schedule your annual house party. Make the time to enjoy the things that money can't buy.

 

3. For one day, take note of your tolerations. What is bothering you today? is your cell-phone unreliable, but you don't have time to get it repaired? Are magazine subscriptions piling up on your desk, but you haven't made the effort to cancel your subscriptions? Should you clean out your office, but have been too busy lately to take care of it? Pay attention to things that you are tolerating, schedule time on your calendar to take care of them in bite-sized chunks, and remove these tolerations from your life soon so that you start the new year with renewed energy.

 

4. Review your successes from the past year. What did you do well in January this past year? How was February for you? What good decisions did you make during May? Add your successes to your "Little life scorecard" to see how you are making a difference in the world.

 

5. What did you learn from reading books, attending conferences, and meeting new people this past year? What do you want to learn more of next year?

 

6. How can you record your 2009 experiences for future generations to learn from? I make a personal video recording every six months or so, for my future generations to capture my magnificent journey. How are you capturing your magnificent journey through life?

 

7. Look at your 'books to read" list. What books should you read in 2010, to strategically improve your expertise in a new field? Is it time to read up on networking strategies in your workplace? When last did you study personal marketing and branding techniques? Perhaps it is time to study the latest trends in nutrition and exercise to shed a few holiday pounds?

 

8. Plan your long weekend getaways and vacations for 2010. Now is the perfect time to plan your vacations and then schedule your work around it.

 

9. OK - You know that we had to get to this one eventually, right? "What are your New Year resolutions for 2010?" 

 

I hope that you have a peaceful and restful December 2009, and prepare mentally and pragmatically for a prosperous 2010.

 

 

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How can you apply these lessons to your Toastmaster speeches? Instead of "Fellow Toastmasters, it is nice to be here today...", how can you draw your audience into the scene in the first few words? 

 

For example "Have you ever had a dream..." or "If you had been sitting next to me at 7 AM in the New York City morning traffic ...".

 

Learn from Hollywood this month, incorporate your lessons into your next Toastmaster speech and share it in your first club speech of 2010 - "Lessons from Hollywood".

 

 

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