A BOLD NEW YEAR

I am a true believer that committing one’s goals to writing and sharing them with at least one other person, or in this case publicly, helps to propel them to success.  My informal, empirical research suggests that keeping your goals a secret may actually hinder your efforts.  Consider the act of looking for a new job or place to live; by sharing your intentions with others, they can provide assistance as well as keep you on track.  With that said, I would like to share my hopes for the New Year with all of you -

**Be bold! Vanquish that other “B” word - boring.

**Live! Or rather, be more spontaneous.  I believe my husband will benefit the most from this one.  I’m rather rigid and fixed in my plans and do not like to deviate from them with regularity. Here’s to a new year of impulsive movie nights and impromptu cocktail parties!

**Speak! I want to learn a new language in 2014.  In the far reaches of my brain lives some German and even less French which have gone relatively unused in about 20 years.  Perhaps I will return to French or start fresh with Italian...

**Be kind! Have you ever noticed the change in someone’s face when you call them by their first name?  Bank teller, the teenager cashing you out at the market or even the unsung heroes of customer service who deal with irate individuals on the phone every day - they all brighten when someone is considerate enough to use their name.  Best applied after two underused words, “thank you”. 

**Bite the bullet! Forget what the Chinese may say, 2014 is the year of the house.  After renting for my entire adult life, which has worked to my advantage as my career has taken me from the Midwest to Los Angeles back to the Midwest to New York and eventually the Washington, D.C. area, I’m now keen to put down some roots.