New Year. New Beginnings.

I love the holidays – the lights, the music, family, the general shared feeling of merriment. The one thing I despise about this time of year, however, is the incessant want to make resolutions for the New Year. Maybe it’s because I’ve never been good at resolutions in general – I always wait until zero hour to choose something to change about myself, the choice is always something vague and hard to gauge, and within a month I have usually given up or at least lost motivation.

So, here I am with the clock running out once again and no real resolutions to speak of, yet still wanting to have something to strive for in these next twelve months. I kept trying to come up with some brilliant idea all day today that would inspire me and make this resolution the one that would break my failed track record. Obviously that didn’t pan out so well, but I refuse to let the opportunity that comes with every New Year go to waste.

And thus my 2011 resolution has been born. I have decided that my goal for this year is to continue to find ways inspire myself. This next chapter of my life is going to be difficult, exciting, and scary, but I am making it a priority to not lose sight of what I am really searching for – a career and life that is going to challenge me, make me excited to get up in the morning and leave me with a sense of fulfillment at the end of the day. I am not going to seek out jobs that meet someone else’s definition of success – this is my life and these are my choices. If this means that I start out in a part-time position or take on freelance projects and work my way into a full-time position, I will do so because I am enthusiastic about the opportunity and where it might lead. I am excited about what the future holds and I refuse to lose sight of that both professionally and personally.

So, I pose a question to you now. What is your New Year’s resolution this year? Have you found success or failure in your past resolutions, and do you prefer to make personal resolutions, professional ones, or both?

I hope everyone has a memorable New Year’s celebration and gets a great start to the year. Whatever your resolution practices are, I hope you find peace and inspiration in the new beginnings that come with the drop of the ball.

"Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right." - Oprah Winfrey