Ahhh…another New Year.  With age comes wisdom, so I decided just a “few” years ago to stop making resolutions.  They cause me anxiety.

Instead, I commit to doing something for myself each month; just one thing.  It sounds easy, but who makes themselves a priority 12 times a year?

Why make the effort?  It’s the healthy thing to do.

What kinds of “things”?  Anything that stimulates self-development.

How do I start?  Decide on an area of interest that you would like to strengthen during the year.  It could be professional, spiritual, personal, or physical.  Remember, it’s not about drastic change it’s about making you a priority.

There are countless development resources including books, movies, podcasts, seminars, networking, classes, webcasts, or volunteering.  A monthly program could take as little as 15 minutes, if that is what you want.  The important part is the first step, which is identifying an area of your life that you want to develop through the course of the year.

When I wanted to get back up to speed on current bestselling authors, I joined a book club that meets monthly.  Some would say it’s a wine club that occasionally talks about current literature. When I wanted to play golf more regularly, I started a small ladies summer golf league.  We are a fair weather group, which is a nice thing to have in common. The best part of these self-development pursuits was that I found others who were looking for the same casual, social means of improving some facet of life for no one but themselves.

Enjoy taking a little time for you in 2014.

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