It's New Year's Eve, and you're ready to party like it's 1999. But, as you hold your champagne high and toast and roast your way into 2015, remember that the day of judgment is coming: tomorrow. You can't stop it either, no matter how much you get your drink and dance on; for unless something apocalyptic occurs, tomorrow will come--then what?
Last post I offered a few suggestions for making New Years resolutions, in spite of most people's inability to actually keep them. What we found was those who made an effort to make and hold to their resolutions had a very high chance of success. One key is to keep them simple. Unless you have the means, or doing so already, to resolve to go from broke to millionaire this year may be a stretch (not impossible, but maybe too high).
So, the objective today is to give you a few suggestions that will perhaps take the edge off that slight pang of anxiety that might prick at your heart while you take your second swig of champagne at 12:01--that moment in which your unconscious sends the alarming question, "Now what?"
1. Get a notebook: There are countless articles across the net about the importance of keeping a notebook: a simple little book you carry around with you in which you write down ideas, flashes of insight, reminders, gift lists for significant others, etc. And there are many famous, highly successful people who use or have used them: Mark Twain, George Lucas, Thomas Jefferson, John D. Rockefeller, and many others. You can get a simple black hard cover with elastic enclosure at the dollar store for under 2 bucks, or nicer ones like Moleskine, Rhodia, and, a favourite of mine, Fabriano. Will your iPhone do? Well, answer this question: will the NSA be able to steal the contents from your notebook like they would your phone? A notebook is private and personal.
2. Write 3 pages every morning: I know: it sounds like kooky stuff for creatives, but if you have a notebook, then it's better to use it than let it sit. I've covered this off in the post on becoming a more creative person. There are a number of very reliable journal methods that will enhance your ability to think, solve problems, and plan your future. One simple way is to hit your notebook every morning and write 3 pages on whatever comes to mind. You'll find this practice over time will be something you can't live without, and help you gain clarity over your life and decisions. And it's just as important to revisit your pages, especially those in which you've written your goals. Re-reading goals will help you keep them top of mind, and thus more attainable.
With the how out of the way, here are a few whats that you can adopt at toast time to quell the ensuing anxiety about 2015:
3. Get a car insurance quote: You may have been using the same provider for years, and have become unaware of the vast options that now exist in car insurance that could help you save money. If you have a record, or are seemingly uninsurable, call Easyway Insurance for a free quote--you won't be disappointed.
4. Assemble a vehicle safety kit: A vehicle safety kit can come in the form of items you keep in your trunk, or, to get more sophisticated, a kit from Costco or some other distributor. The bare minimum you need are: jumper cables, candles, matches, blankets, boots/gloves/hat, energy bars, and water. The important thing is to assemble it and keep it in your vehicle. Plan to gather these items this week.
5. Buy a good multi-tool: McGuyver, as we've seen, would not be caught dead without his trusty Swiss Army Knife--this is your bare minimum. There are other amazing cool-tools out there that will come in very handy when you're in a bind, such as the products by Leatherman. Many of them come with pliers, screw driver bits, and a very sharp knife--very important to have with you in your vehicle or in your computer bag for those McGuyver moments. For under $50, you can have something that will last for many years.
6. Chop wood, carry water: You don't know what winter will bring. It will be important to have a 72 hour supply of food and water, and, if you have a fireplace, wood. If there's an emergency situation, food and water can fly off the shelves, leaving you with nothing. If you don't have an alternative heat source to electrical, buy one. Keep the food and water in a safe place where you won't be tempted to eat through it. Change your water supply every couple of months or so.
7. Money Matters: There are a number of books out that talk about another emergent economic crisis over the coming year or two. While these kinds of events are hard to predict, being aware of them is important. A couple of books on this are: Jim Rickards's, The Death of Money, and Thom Hartmann's The Crash of 2016. We continue to live in precarious times. It's important that we have strategies for navigating through economic shake-ups. Books like Rickard's and Hartmann's are relatively good places to start.
8. Stay informed: Plan to read more books, and keep informed of the events going on around you; and I'm not talking only about the conventional daily news shows and publications. There is a lot of misinformation out there that it is good to check out alternative news sources, such as Infowars.com. You don't have to believe everything you hear or see, but you can cross-check sources and make your own decision. Staying informed requires cross-analysis. If you know where to look, you can scan the current events in 20-30 minutes and get a decent sense of what's going on.
9. Read more books: Yes, with all the multi-media out there, books seem totally passé; however, they remain a growing source of information and the means for enhancing your intellect and enriching your life. Key: You don't have to read the whole thing to get what's important. Many books are heavy up front and slim toward the middle, and then fatten up again at the end. You can read most books in an hour by simply reading the Preface and Introduction, getting a gist for the main argument, skimming over the middle section, and getting the main conclusions at the end--unless it's War and Peace, or the Critique of Pure Reason. Reading more will help quicken your mind, get you off-screen, and help you build your ideas and ways of navigating the times.
10. Do some good: This is the Age of Selfie: Much of what we do is to preserve ourselves and not so much for the well-being of others. It's hard to look beyond one's own daily needs and pleasures, but it's important to put as much good out there into the world as possible. Life is hard. People everyday fall into hard times for which they need others. You don't have to be someone you're not. Simply being open to another's need for help--a ride to the store, a coffee for company, a visit at the hospital--is how we can do good to those around us. And you'll feel enriched yourself, perhaps even blessed to be alive and useful.
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