7 Steps to Turn Your Self-Improvement Desires Into Reality

“Reality leaves a lot to the imagination.” - John Lennon

How many times have we told ourselves in complete earnestness, “I’m going to be more organized and productive from now on.”? Or that the diet starts tomorrow? Or that we’re going to make a real effort to exercise now?

Only to have that enthusiasm fizzle away, and all our best intentions come to nothing?

So I Quit My Day Job - Holy Cow! I Took the Plunge

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. - Mark Twain

I’m officially a ProBlogger now.

Yesterday morning, I turned in my resignation from my day job (I work with U.S. military veterans for the Guam Legislature). OK, it doesn’t actually take effect until the end of next week, but still.

Woo hoo!

It’s pretty liberating. And very very very scary.

Resolution Makeover: 5 Things To Consider When Setting This Year’s Goals

Thought is the sculptor who can create the person you want to be. - Henry David Thoreau

Editor’s note: This excellent guest post from Lynn Truong of Wise Bread and Parenting Squad was supposed to run last week. It’s a bit late to be setting New Year’s resolutions, but this advice applies to any goal-setting, and anyway, it’s never too late to change your resolutions!

Typical resolutions consist of activities that require some teeth-pulling. Exercise more. Eat better. Stop smoking. These are things we don’t really want to do. These are the resolutions we make and break every year, minutes after writing them down. Instead, we should make resolutions for things we want to do. Make resolutions to do things that you didn’t do enough of or didn’t get to last year. Have you been delaying a trip to Europe? Do you want to spend more time with your family and friends? Make resolutions for things that will make you happy, and you’ll be more motivated to commit to them.

7 Essential Tips to Make 2008 Your Best Year Ever

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. - Eleanor Roosevelt

As I reflected on this past year, I realized that 2007 has been perhaps my best year ever. It’s funny, because that’s what I thought about 2006, but my years seem to be getting better and better.

And so I reflected on what made these past two years so great, and how I could leverage these successes for even further improvement. I’d like to share some things I’ve learned about the past two (very great) years, and how you might be able to use them to make this next year your greatest year yet.

Happy New Year! The Zen Habits January Challenge: Start Your Year Off Right

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. - Aristotle

Happy New Year, my friends! I’m extremely excited about having another great year with you guys. I hope the New Year is going well for you and your families.

I’d like to give you a great tip to start your year off right: Join the Zen Habits January Challenge on the Zen Habits forums.

What is it?
The Zen Habits challenges are monthly challenges that have worked great for many Zen Habits readers in the past year. Basic concept: you commit yourself to sticking to a habit for one month. You log in to the Zen Habits forums as often as possible, and report your progress in the daily check-in thread. This accountability to your fellow challenge members is what makes the challenge work.