How to Have Your Best Year Ever

Today is the first day of classes at Mountain State's main campus in Beckley, WV. Even though I am not on site in Beckley, I am excited to see what the new school year will hold for MSU and our students.

I have written before about how I love new beginnings.

For me, the start of the school year is another opportunity to start fresh, a time of self reflection. How am I spending my time? Am I spending time on the things are truly meaningful to me? If not, what can I do to set aside time for activities that help me fulfill my most important priorities?

Here are two ideas I have to make this my best year ever.

I am going to stop complaining.

Complaining doesn't solve the situation. In fact, complaining has a negative effect on me and on everyone who has to listen. So, instead I am going to consider what action I can take to change the situation. Usually, there are steps I can take to make things better. Rarely, my only choice is to endure patiently.

As often as possible, I am going to try to make someone's day.

At this stage in my life, my real life sphere of influence is relatively small. My virtual sphere of influence is much farther reaching.

How can you make someone's day?

If you pay attention, people will tell you or show you the things that bring them joy. My daughter Cami sleeps on the top bunk and she loves it when I climb up on her bed to talk and snuggle. My downstairs neighbor, who lives alone, often works late. Sometimes I wrap an extra serving of our home-cooked supper in foil and set it aside for when she comes home. My husband loves ice cream. If there is some in the freezer when he gets home, he is extra happy. Bonus smiles if I take the time to actually make some ice cream.

Positive words, spoken or written, smiles, acts of service: these are things I can do to make a huge difference in someone's day.

You may interact with hundreds or thousands of people each day through your leadership in your organization. Or maybe, like mine, your sphere of influence is significantly smaller. Whether you are interacting with many people or just a few, what you do matters. Start with your spouse, your children, your next door neighbor, or the person who sits next to you at the office. Consider what you might do influence the people in your life in a positive way.

I will share more ideas about how to have your best year ever in a future post so if you have some ideas, please share them in the comments. I'll be glad to give you credit for them.

For now, choose one of these: Cut out the complaining. Do what you can to make someone's day special. And don't forget to come back and let me know what effect your new choices have on your life — and the lives of the people around you.  

Comments

[Angie Chaplin]

LOVE this! I am a huge advocate of random acts of kindness - doing something for someone else without the expectation of anything in return.

In fact, I prefer anonymity when I randomly offer an act of kindness because it eliminates need for the recipient to feel obligated to give back in return. I realize that anonymity prevents giving thanks, so I may throw in a "pay it forward" request for the kindness to keep on giving.

[Becky Robinson]

What a great thought, Angie. It definitely takes more creativity to be able to do an act of kindness behind the scenes.

One day last winter, a friend of mine and her kids decided to take cookies to some neighbors. They wanted to ring the doorbell and run away, but they were afraid their neighbor would see them. So they got out all the dress up clothes and dressed as lions, tigers, and pirates to make their secret delivery. The kids were so pleased to get involved in that secret act of kindness.

I am often full of good intentions in serving others, but follow through is difficult. Writing this post has been a good reminder to move from writing those good ideas on a to do list to actually DOING them.

[Mike Henry Sr.]

Thanks Becky. It is good to remember that we always have something to offer, even when we don't think we have what we need. I'm in. I'll try to take action on ideas I get to just add value to people. I appreciate the post and the reminder.

[Becky Robinson]

I'm glad you enjoyed it, Mike, and I look forward to hearing new actions you're going to take to make a difference in people's lives (as I write this, I am aware that you already do many, many things in the course of your life and work that make a difference.)

The reality is that sometimes it takes all my energy just to tend to the basics for my family and work. I love that doing even small things to serve others will have an impact that I might never know.