2017: A Year In The Rear-View

I know, you've heard it all before, New year/New you- ad naseum. Don't fall for the hype. You were responsible for what happened in 2017. Some choice you made ended you up right where you are today. You might be thinking that hey- that drunk driver that crashed into me isn't my fault! Yes, it's your fault. You chose to accept the risks when you pulled out of the driveway. Had you stayed at home you'd be safe(er). But wait, there's more. A plane falls out of the sky and lands on your house, yep, you chose to live in a metropolis or near an major hub and accepted the risk of higher flight numbers.

Quit blaming others for random stuff. You can hold another accountable for their actions in the case of the plane or drunk driver, but what about holding yourself accountable? Do you look in the mirror every morning thinking that you made perfect choices all day every day? No. We all have room for improvement or self improvement if you like.

Every year you see people talking about being ready to start a new year and forget about the dumpster fire that was last year. That is exactly the wrong idea. You started and fed that dumpster fire with your choices. Own up to it and start making decisions with your head instead of your heart. Analyze your investments daily- That means looking at them for what they are, regardless of how you feel about them. That means time investments, financial investments, vanity investments, relationships, habitation, Etc. If you can't admit that you made a mistake, you've already made 2 mistakes. If that dude that you've hung out with for 20 years is dragging you down, you need to improve him or lose him. Your goals and standards are defined by your surroundings.

Quit being jealous. If someone won the genetic lottery, good for them! That may not be your lot in life, but it's not an excuse to demonize someone or deflate your own self worth. If you're a hater, you're allowing someone else to live rent free in your head. Toss that luggage to the curb and work to grow your own flock of haters. The measure of a person is how they deal with adversity. You beat it, or it beats you.

You are responsible for you. That means that you should be willing to own up to your shortcomings and learn to handle them.

Be humble. You are no better than anyone else. How you treat people that can do nothing for you defines your character.

Be productive. The only way  to deserve anything is to earn it. A promotion that is worked for is held in esteem by your peers.

Time is money. You're trading time for everything you buy. Instead of looking at a prospective purchase by price, look at it in time. If you're willing to trade an hour of your day's pay every day to eat out at lunch, just understand the cost. Your time is finite and growing shorter every day, don't squander it.

Be content. If you gave it your all and came up short, learn from it. Don't let it break you. Trying to live up to the expectations of others can run you ragged. Keep your grass tended and it won't be greener on the other side. Live your life, not what others think is great and exciting.

I'm speaking from experience. I've made all the mistakes you can make, then stopped and owned up to it.

Make 2018 your year, then 2019.