Not Partcipating in the Recession

Regular readers of this blog, who don't otherwise know me, have likely concluded that I am someone with a very positive attitude. And as you might expect, one of the keys to such an attitude is too surround oneself with other can-do types.

As a result of the quality and nature of the people who are closest to me, I am frequently hearing the mantra that I am "not participating in the recession."

I love when I hear a friend, or for that matter anyone, express this attitude. But, I have grown leery about how some who express this view will do in the length and deep downturn I am on record as expecting.

I have come to recognize two types who are expressing this mantra. One type is espousing the mantra but doing little to adjust to meet changing circumstances. The other type has this correct attitude AND a solid action plan for adjusting to the changing times.

Reminds me of the Law of Attraction division. There are those that put their full faith in the concept, but expend little effort to make things happen. Then, there are those that have the faith and the right actions. For the latter types, the Law of Attraction does provide results.

Merely saying you are not participating in the recession is unlikely to lead to prosperity. Coupling that attitude with the right changes will lead to prosperity.

So, what about you? Are you participating in the recession? Or, have you decided to not participate? And if you have decided not to participate, do you have the action plan and requisite commitment to make the changes necessary to prosper in these tough times?

I am hoping that each of my friends are in the latter category. As I hope that you are!

Protect Job in Bad Times

With every new announcement of layoffs, it becomes ever more important that if you have a job, you should protect yourself...best that you can...from losing your job.

One of the most popular of my blog posts was a post on 5 Tips for Saving Your Job, published back in October of last year. Recently, I came across an excellent book on the subject by executive recruiter Stephen Viscusi. Bulletproof Your Job can make the difference between having a job and being a part of the tragic rising unemployment statistics.

I expect that some employers will be reading this thoughtful book with the thought of using it as a template for the higher expectations they can have of employees in this labor market. Which means this is book is a must read for anyone with a job.

What is fascinating to me is to think of the higher productivity that could be achieved in this country if Viscusi's recommendations became the norm for the behavior of employees.

Achievement Journal Power

Millions of people around the world are believers in the power of journaling. So too am I. And in 2009, I will be using the power of journaling as just one of many tools to assure that the year is a great one for me.

Now, as you may know, there are many forms of journaling. I learned a lot, over the last year, about the various forms of journaling from Kay Adam's Journaling for a Better Life weekly radio show on Exceptional Wisdom Radio . Kay is the founder of the Center for Journal Therapy and widely regarded as one of the world's leading experts on the power of journaling.

Blogging is a form of public journaling. And, in 2009, writing this blog 4-5 times per week will be as helpful for me, as I hope it will be for readers of the blog.

I am also using an "achievement journal" for the first time in 2009. I was introduced to this concept by the writings of the fantastic Judi Moreo. Judi created the first achievement journal I ever saw as a companion to her book You Are More Than Enough. Her achievement journal is a beautiful tool.

I will be using my own unique achievement journal as a way to record my successes throughout 2009. Besides giving me the positive reinforcement of a sense of progress, it will also be a powerful motivator to get big things done on a regular basis. I am just not the kind of person that wants to have a week go by without a listing or two, or three, in my achievement journal.

If you haven't yet learned about how journaling can help you, especially in challenging times, I highly recommend that you learn more about journaling. Kay Adam's radio show will quickly convince you of some of the many benefits of journaling.

Best Day of My Life?

Well, certainly this will be the best day of the new year. Geez, it is the only day of the new year.

But, best day of my life? Wow, that is one tough standard. OK, so let us relax the standard just a tad. Has this been one of the best days of your life?

If 2009 is going to the best year of our life,

then we need to have a lot of days that are

among the very best days of our life.

As I write this in the early evening of the first, I have to say that this day has been delightful and I have done some important thinsg to help others, but hardly a day that ranks as one of the best days of my life.

Fast forward, multiply the kind of day you had today by 365. In my case, based on what I have done so far today, the resulting multiplication leaves me far short of having one of the best years of my life. Ouch!

So, I face the kind of choice that all of us face when we set a goal and quickly fall off track. I can give up...or I can resolve to quickly get back on track.

That is an easy choice for me. What about for you?

I am getting back on track...right now. I am off to write some LinkedIn recommendations that will start the new year off right for people who are important to me.

What is something that you could do, yet today, that would make this a productive day for you?

You can "save" the day. It is within your power, as it is for me, to make it a good day, even if not quite one of the best days of my life.

A defining moment in our life...one that happens almost every day...is what we do when our day is not shaping up to be one of the best days of our life.

We can resign ourselves to be less than our best, or we can quickly get back on track.

Best wishes that you make your day one of the best in your life and your year one of the very best in your life.

PS Want to make 2009 one of the best years of your life? Then read the six part series, Countdown to New Years, that concluded yesterday. The series starts here.