Free of festivities and eggnog temptations, we’re now able to make some good plans about how to make 2009 a great year – with a little help from our friends.  DreamBank’s selected our favorite advice for goal achievement and happiness for the New Year from the blogosphere:

1. “Stop waiting for happiness. Happiness is right here, right now.” – The Single Secret to Making 2009 Your Best Year Ever
2. “If you have a book idea, want to start a new company, have something to sell or simply want people to really consider what you have to say, try the “elevator conversation” approach. Begin with something about who you are and why you have expertise about this topic. Next, summarize your main point or thesis. Continue by offering a few details. Aim for a powerful conclusion. And, do all of this in 90 seconds or less.” -  2009 Elevator Pitch to Change Your Life
3. “Many people seem to think their mission in life needs to be a spectacular quest to “save the world.” That’s not true. It doesn’t have to be huge; it just has to be something. And it has to be what’s right for you.” – Lifestyle Redesign for the New Year
4. “In starting your happiness project, you might begin by writing your personal Commandments.” – New Year’s Resolution: Four tips for writing your personal commandments.
   
5. “Start and end your day with a simple pause allowing time to reflect on appreciation. Take note of several things you are truly thankful for. Sincere expression of appreciation is a powerful tool to facilitate positive thought processes and generate a sense of fulfillment in the moment.” – Energy of Positive Thinking: Empower Your Mental Wellness
6. “If you know people who are better than you at something then they are the people who you should be asking questions to in order to improve.” – How to Suck Less Over Time
   
7. “Goals give meaning to spending (or not spending). But sometimes it’s hard to keep sacrificing when everyone else seems to be living large. ‘Seems’ is the operative word; a bunch of them may be eyebrow-deep in consumer debt, but think this is normal. That’s because they’ve watched too much TV and read too many magazines.” – 3 frugal resolutions for 2009
8. “All you need to do is answer “What’s Important Now” and align your actions with it.” – What’s Important Now? Success Factors Day 7
9. “By putting some focused thought into anticipating the obstacles you may face on the way to your goals, and by implementing simple steps to avoid or confront them, your likelihood of success will increase dramatically. – How to Achieve Any Goal; Or, The Art of Anticipating Obstacles
10. “Remember, a smile costs nothing, but is worth a lot.” – My resolution for 2009… smile more and crack a few jokes
    

OK, one more suggestion: Live for Improvement offers a nice (and printable) Improvement Plan.

What advice has inspired you?

Posted on Thursday, January 8th, 2009 at 9:50 am and is filed under Dreamers, Happiness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.