This is the year!

I put this bracelet on the Career Girl Christmas list, even though I'd already bought it for myself. I've been wearing it for a few weeks, but truthfully, the sentiment behind it is all about 2012. "This is the year!" Whether you admit to it or not, we all set those pesky New Year's resolutions - all of the things we want to change, correct, add, subtract or get better at in the upcoming year. We at Career Girl blogs are no different. But we believe we've learned a few keys to "resolution success" to help guide you on your way.

Over the next six days, you'll see a series of six posts guiding you on your resolution track. Don't think of your New Year's resolution as an obstacle, think of it as something you desire so strongly, there's no other choice but to do it. Say to yourself, "This is the year...." Perhaps this is your year to get a new job, or land that promotion. Maybe 2012 is the year of adding to your family or bringing peace into your life. Whatever those desires are, harness them, write them down, and make them real.

To start it off, for me, it has to go down on paper. Take a sheet of paper and write at the top, "This is the year to..." Then, start your list. It may change over time, pieces may get added or deleted, but start that list now. Don't wait until February when you're already 1/12 in.

Here are a few of my resolutions to kick you off. For Chicago Career Girl, this is the year to....

• Finish what I started - I've maintained a huge weight loss these past few years. Now it's time to finish it - and finally get to the goals I set from the beginning in 2009.
• Re-prioritize myself, even if it means being "good enough" in other areas of my life. It's time to get back to spending time with me and enjoying it.
• Continue to build a foundation for a strong marriage and a vision for our future. Twitter Husband and I have the most phenomenal relationship - it fulfills me every single day. But I want us to look ahead and not rest on the laurels of a beautiful every day. Where do we want to go? What do we want to see? What's next in our journey? Bring it on!
• Foster a culture of opportunity and openness in my life. Too often I focus on things being prescribed and working in just the way I want. This is the year for me to realize that as long as I am authentic and work hard, the right opportunities and paths will appear.

You can have a list of three or thirty - don't hesitate if it means something to you. And don't let the list be static. It has to be a living document - breathing every day. Change it, scribble on it. Look at it regularly. Don't let it sit in a drawer.

That's the first step - our next two posts will prepare you for visualizing success and seeing your future in bright lights!