I received the following from a friend; I 'm passing it on.
- 2009 Contract
- After serious & cautious consideration . . .
Your contract of friendship has been renewed for the New Year 2009! It was a very hard decision (not really) So try not to mess it up!!! My Wish for You in 2009:
- May peace break into your house and thieves come to steal your debts.
- May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet of $100 bills.
- May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips!
- May your clothes smell of success like smoking tires
- May happiness slap you across the face
- May all of your tears be those of joy.
- May the problems you had forget your home address!
- In simple words . .
- May 2009 be the best year of your life! (so far)
I'm sorry it took me so long to get back to this goals issue. But, if you've been with me for a while, you know I don't generally write an issue unless I am inspired. Too often when I get an inspiration I'm not in a position to write it down, then when I *am* in the position, the fire has left. Two nights ago I spent 3 hours trying force this issue into existence and it just wasn't working. At about 3:00 a.m. I read it and decided that you deserved better, so I canned it... until now. After all, I promised in the welcome email that I would never bore you.
So, as I write this I'm sitting in my family room -- which doubles as the consultation room for my photography clients (and if you're with the IRS, no I don't claim this area for my home office deduction), enjoying the sunshine streaming through the sliding glass doors, and waiting for Verizon to install my new FIOS service. That's a lot like sitting on an egg and waiting for it to hatch -- you know it's going to happen eventually, but when? And you can't leave until it's done. But I'm sitting here, and I'm totally jazzed. Let me ask a question: WHAT MOTIVATES YOU ?!
I did a blog post last January about my friend Steve Borek, who is a a great business coach, and I asked "Who motivates the motivator?" reffering to Steve. If you're looking for a good business coach, you should absolutely read that post. But, on Friday, November 21st at about 8:14 pm, sitting in the Holiday Inn off Carrier Circle here in sunny Syracuse, NY, at a Toastmaster's Conference that I had not planned to attend, I... got... motivated.
Have you ever talked to someone you just met and it seemed like they'd known you all your life? It seemed like they knew you better than you knew yourself; knew your dreams, your goals, your weaknesses, and your strengths. Then they knew exactly what to say to get to you, to make every point, every connection, hit every button, and put you back in touch with who you were and wanted to be?
Well, that night, this man -- Craig Valentine, Baltimore, Maryland, the 1999 Toastmaster's World Champion of Public Speaking -- took the stage at the Holiday Inn and walked through my life like somebody had given him a script. 50 other people in the room and I swore he was talking directly to me. He told me things he couldn't know, he put me back in touch with every dream I ever had, and all the energy I had misplaced; and then he stole *all* my excuses.
So you're probably sitting there thinking, "So what? What does that have to do with me? What's it mean to me?" What it means for you, is a LOT. It means that as of November 21, 2009, Kelvin is really fired up -- we're talking one seriously jazzed and motivated motivational guy! It means that things I promised you in the past that I was too timid to put in place, will get finished this year, and it means that you will hear more from Craig Valentine... because the effect this man's words had on me cannot stay with just me. I've got to share that gift with you, and you will benefit from it, if you so choose. It is often said that when the student is ready the teacher shall appear: I'm pleased to have made your acquaintance, Mr. Craig Valentine.
SO...buckle up, and strap yourself in. 'Cause 2009 is THE year to win !
Here are my 2009 goals:
1. Pay off all non-mortgage debt. I know; I didn't make it last year, but... I am sooooo close. . This year, it's a cinch.Your turn! But listen! Each year I ask, and I get a few. Last year 6% of Ramblings readers sent me their goals (and yes, I still have them) This year I'm looking for 100% participation! You gotta play to win! Look, I usually ask for 10 goals, but maybe you've just got one. GREAT! If you've got one thing that's important for you to get done in your life, in 2009... and you have some excitement about... that is awesome. I'd love to know. So how about it?
2. Develop two additional more streams of income -- one of which will be from public speaking (thanks, Craig)
3. Increase my photography business income.
4. Help orchestrate the successful 2009 Annual Conference for the Professional Photographers of New York State, of which I am currently president (our conference team is truly rocking! It's gonna be a fabulous year)
5. Retire from my day job. My goal for 2008 was to be in the position to do so by my 55th birthday on October 24th -- you saw the party pics, right?. I could retire now, but it wouldn't be comfortably, so I have a little bit more to go. I'll keep you posted.
6. Help two other people accomplish major goals of their own! (in progress)
7. Be more healthy! Eat right, sleep right, get more exercise, get down to 180 pounds (last year I was a baaaaaad boy..)
8. Read at least one book just for entertainment -- as opposed to the 3rd time through 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and Tony Robbins' "Unlimited Power or the stack of 12 business related books in front of my stereo cabinet.)
9. Visit my mother more (I'm her favorite. My story and I'm sticking yo it.)
10. Finish all the projects I've started, but have been stuck on "get set."
A few people have probably already written them down and are just waiting for me to say the word, so they can hit send button. Maybe you're one of them! But I'd really love to hear from everyone - especially you ! So I'm sitting here... waiting... for 186 emails... with my friends' goals for 2009 -- even if you only have one. Okay?
So, on your mark... get set... GO !
