There is something about writing down your goals and keep them up somewhere to remind yourself what you want to accomplish for the year. I don't believe in New Year's resolutions, but I do believe that if you write down some specific goals, you will achieve them.
Key word...writing them down.
I wrote them down in a journal, blogged about them and posted the list on the right side of this blog so I have held myself accountable. If you are ever bored and think that life is passing you by without doing anything, it's a great way to get back on track.
I am not the most social person in the world. I don't mind being alone and away from the crowds...in fact I prefer it at times. I do know that when I say yes to things that I don't feel 100% comfortable doing, it's the best way to learn and grow. The other night was a mixer of local artists that I thought would be fun to check out. It was a place I have never been to and I went alone so I couldn't hide in the corner with the familiar.
I soaked up the energy and sat down for a bit. The founder, Tanya Quinn sat next to me and we started chatting. It was so nice to meet her since we exchanged a few emails here and there. At the same time, a writer for the District Weekly came up to talk to her and needed someone to take pictures for the article he was doing on the event. Since I brought my camera to take pictures for a blog, I took a lot more to see if there was any he could use for his article.
He did.
By saying yes to something that felt uncomfortable at first, it lead me to achieve a goal that I wrote down at the beginning of the year. It's easier to say no or come up with an excuse on why we can't do something. The reward for a little discomfort is so much greater than the perceived "secure" feeling of sameness.
I would encourage you to write down what you want to achieve this year. You might be amazed at all of the opportunities that come up to achieve those goals if you pay attention.
A big thank you to Tanya Quinn for organizing such a great event and to Greggory Moore for using a photograph I took that night. If you are in the Long Beach area, you can pick up a copy of The District all over the city. A link to the full article can be found HERE.
As far as the bike goes...I saw it outside of the event as I was leaving and liked the way it looked so I had to take a picture of it.