Just a few reminders about changes and decisions for 2009. A new year begins with a flip of the calendar, but a fresh start begins with clarity–and Clarity is power. Take a minute, get still and get clear on what is really going on in your life. Decide what you want to do, be honest about who you are and who you want to be. It may sting a bit at first, but it will set you in the right direction.

January is the month we hear all the promises: tackle clutter, lose weight, find love. And most are made with sincere intentions. But to truly be successful at any of these takes more than desire and sometimes it takes more than action. Sometimes it’s about our beliefs. Do you believe it is OK for you to have the things you want? It’s not the clutter in your closet that leads to a cluttered, stressed out mind and chaotic life. It’s a cluttered, stressed out mind that causes the clutter in your closet. Truth be told, it’s not a lack of peace in a foreign land that keeps you up at night, it’s the lack of peace you have inside that is robbing you.

So let’s debunk some negative and limiting beliefs right now:

1. You do not have to have a CD drop, a starring role, a modeling contract, or a boat load of money to be fit, to feel good, to look good or to be happy.

2. Being Kind, joyful, and positive has absolutely nothing to with your bank account or zip code.

3. You are not your family! This is huge. Because sometimes being the black sheep of the family is a good thing.

4. You don’t have to earn six figures to eat healthy.

5. You do not have to have a gym membership to work out.

6. Your life does not have to be scripted by statistics. Those news reporters and Ivy league graduates don’t know you, or have any hold on you.

7. It is completely acceptable to get Brand New! Forget about 2008, last year, or even last night. And if someone says, “You act different.” So what?! If people talk negatively or laugh about positive changes you make, imagine what they would say if you were to let your life go down the tubes.

8. It is OK for you to have fun! Style and fun is not just for a privileged few–it is approved for all ages.

9. Hair is not that serious. People have rocked fake hair since George Washington crossed the Delaware. Stop analyzing how someone feels about who they are and Do You! That person is not representative of you and you are not the ambassador for anyone else. Know who you are and what you are about. As far as a representative is concerned: Tag-You’re It!!

10. It is up to you to create your life story. Forget about what happened in the past. Those chapters are closed. As of January 2009, what do you want/need to do? What happens next in your life? How does your story go? It’s true that sometimes we get stuck with a bad chapter, but it is still up to you how your story goes. What happens in the next paragraph, the next sentence, your dialogue? It is up to you. If you don’t like something change it.

11. The airlines are saying what many have known for years: Extra baggage carries a heavy price. Leave those bags behind in ’09 so you can fly!

Leave fear, doubt and other people’s expectations in the dust! Don’t just write down goals in January. Set reminders on your calendar through out the year! In 2009, don’t walk–run, zoom, fly towards something different.