This post isn’t about staying one step ahead of your purported “competition” as I personally feel your biggest competition should be yourself and not someone else who is living a totally different calling from yours.
Rather, I’m referring to thinking one step ahead when nothing we have is absolutely guaranteed. This has been one of many questions I’ve been pondering lately. What is that next step especially when priorities are shifting yet again? That one idea that’s gonna be revolutionary and spiritually rewarding in its own way?
I’ve been having lots of conversations with friends – fellow writers, photographers, and/or bloggers who are in similar reflective moods. All of them very successful in their own ventures yet always thinking ahead. Visionaries, I call ’em.
It’s getting to that time of the year when we start reflecting, drawing up resolutions, bucket lists, and other goals we’d like to accomplish in the upcoming year. I stopped doing resolutions back in 2008 for many reasons, and started picking focus words instead. 2009 was “Focus“, 2010 was “Discipline“, and 2011 was “Growth“. By not holding myself accountable to some arbitrary list of good intentions, I was able to apply each focus word to various aspects of my life and to various work opportunities as they popped up.
I haven’t picked my focus word for 2012 yet, but rest assured, there’ll be lots of reflection going on and hopefully it would be an inspiring word for me. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and most importantly, you took much needed time off to remain grateful for blessings and various loves in your lives.
Brilliant! I have always done resolution lists, but I love the idea of a focus word. Now I need to think of mine for 2012.
@Angela – I definitely hear you. Here’s wishing 2012 brings all of us our heart’s desires.
@Neha – Thanks! I’ve been loving the focus word idea too. You can pick from this long list here – http://christinekane.com/blog/shout-out-your-word-and-create-your-year-starting-right-now/
I love the idea of having a focus word! Lists have never been effective for me, I generally lose my way half way through, but a focus word sounds like just the right kind of motivation without being a downer. I might just try this out for 2012. Will keep you posted 🙂
On a side not, that’s a stunning photo!
I keep making plans, so many I can’t even manage to complete them all.. I, too, have been in a very reflective mood lately, maybe it’s the particular period of shifting of the year that inspires new plans and resolutions, I can’t say I’m not happy about my job although it can always improve, but I truly hope the new year will bring better news in this economic situation.