Start 2014 Off Right

“Tomorrow, is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one.” ~Brad Paisley

Each of us is given the same 24 hours, 1440 minutes, 86,400 seconds each day. Let's start 2014 off on the right foot and really make this a year to remember. You only get one chance at this thing called life. We all make mistakes, but most of us learn from those mistakes and know how to change for the future.


Tomorrow is the first day of a new year, get a new journal or notebook ready and make this year a year to remember. Everyone is always saying how this year just flew by and every year seems to be going faster than the last. Well, let's really remember this year. Create your miracle jar. Journal about all of the great things that happen each and every day.

Standing in front of you is a blank slate with 365 brand new days. Make 2014 the best year yet! Make it a year you will want to remember many years down the road. It hasn't even started yet and I already know it is going to be my best year yet. I have so many dreams and goals that I am going to achieve this year and this is just the start of the year! Join me daily on this journey and make this the best year to remember!

New Year's Resolutions

It is that time of the year when so many people make new year's resolutions. Are you one of those people who makes these resolutions? Then you get started and by the end of January they fall to the wayside? Have you ever stopped to consider why they end up not being so important anymore? Have you ever actually completed your resolutions? Or do you have the same resolutions on your list every year?

For the typical person, their resolutions consist of losing weight, being happier and finding love. But they don't realize that none of these things happen over night.

This year, why don't you just create a list of goals that you want to happen in 2014. Don't make resolutions like losing weight, being happier and finding love. Make goals that you KNOW you can achieve this year! You want to release some excess weight? Make a goal to lose 10 or 20 pounds for the year. If you release more weight than that, even better for you. If you don't make the goal, then you need to find a way to work harder or eat better. Why make it a goal to eat healthy foods 5 days a week? If you eat healthy, 5 days a week, pretty soon, you will add in those other 2 days because of how the unhealthy foods will make your body feel - sluggish, tired, and just plain yucky. Did you know that eating healthy foods will help you lose the weight faster than if you exercised for 2 hours a day 5 days a week? And changing your diet or exercising more, is a lifestyle change. Once you reach the goal weight, you can't just go back to the way things were before - no exercise and eating all junk - and expect to keep the weight off. You will gain back everything you lost plus some on that plan!

Make a goal to land a new job this year if you are really unhappy in your current position. Don't make a resolution that you quit your current job and get a new one that makes you happy. If you make it a goal, you are more likely to find the right job for you. If you love what you, you'll never work a day in your life! That is one of my favorite quotes about working I've ever found. There are so many people that settle with a job because they really think that they can't find something they really love at the salary they currently have. For some this may be true, but you need to really get out there and find what you want and then you will be happy going to work every day!

Are you going to continue to make those new year's resolutions this year and hope that you achieve them? Or are you going to make a list of goals that you know you can achieve this year? And then get starting on achieving those goals? The choice is really yours, but remember your past experiences! Plus goals are easier to achieve and go after because you really want to achieve them.

Miracle Jar

Create your own miracle jar this year. Get an empty jar with a lid. It can be any kind of jar (just make sure you clean it first!). If you want to, decorate the jar anyway you want to. It's the start of a new year, so it's the absolute perfect time to start a new jar!

Each day, write down on a piece of paper a miracle that happened to you that day. You can use colored paper to make it look cool :) when you look at the jar. Or just use whatever paper you have laying around the house.

Write down on pieces of paper:
Something special that happened that day
Something that made you LOL
Any miracle you have noticed - BIG or SMALL
Things you are grateful for that happened that day


Any day you are feeling down or blue, dump out everything in the jar and start reading each slip of paper! They will help you feel better and bring you right back up to where you are supposed to be.

Introduction

After everything that has happened in the past year, I've changed so much about myself, starting with my morning routine. The first thing I do each morning when I wake up, is say or think "Thank you!" I thank the Universe for giving me a new day to conquer my dreams and goals. I never used to do this, but after waking up at 2am one morning and my house was on fire, I've done it every day since. I woke up on my own from that house fire, no one and nothing actually woke me up. So I say "thank you!" every single morning upon waking up.

Just saying this, whether outloud, to myself or silently, it starts my day in a good mood. In order to really change your life to positive and happy outcomes, you need to start each and every day in a positive mood. It really does make a difference in every day how you start it off. I used to be depressed and just plain unhappy, now no matter what the situation is, I'm in a good mood and ready to tackle anything the universe decides to throw my way. I want to help YOU get to that place too.

I'm also adding things to my daily routine every time I find something new that really fits with me. I do the "thank you!" every day. I also write down a list of personal affirmations about things in my life every day. They just come to mind and I just keep writing until I feel that I'm done with them. Positive affirmations are present tense sentences that put out to the universe that which you really want to achieve in your life. They don't include: I should, I will, I could, they are powerful and start with I am or I have. And they are always in the present tense. Affirmations can be really powerful and really change your life. I love affirmations and I've been doing them everyday for months and I'm going to keep doing them too.

Then I also sit in quiet meditation and reflect on where I am and where I need to be that day. I always end my meditations with Life is so good!

Something new I just found that I'm going to add to my Thank you! is Something great is going to happen today and I can't wait to see what it is! I add things in when they really resonate with me.

On this journey we call life, there are things that will resonate with one person, but not with another. So do what works for you. It's just that simple. Continue to add and delete things until you find exactly what you want in your routine. That is why I keep adding in small things here and there, I keep finding new things that really resonate with me and are perfect to add to my routine.

On this blog, I'll make a new post each and every day about what some ideas that you can reflect on and include an affirmation for you to add in to your day and maybe even your daily affirmations. Feel free to share with me your daily miracles. Life really is so good! You just have to learn to notice the miracles that are being presented to you!