So Long 2006!

I'm actually a little glad to see it go. I was hoping that 2006 would be my year - and boy was it! A year for many changes, not all of them good. So, now is a good time for reflection and to try and plan a monstrous 2007.

What did I accomplish in 2006?

1. Started my own home-based business. It has gone pretty well - I am #1 in sales for my immediate upline and am currently waiting to hear whether I made top 10 on my district team.

2. Graduated from college with honors - A Bachelor's degree in History with a minor in Political Science. This one was a tough one to accomplish, but I am glad that I did it - AND, no one can ever take away my degree!

3. Got laid off from a job that I didn't really care for - and found an even better one to replace it. This was truly one of the best things to happen to me this year, especially considering that through this, I really learned who my friends are. I'm still in contact with those that meant the most to me.

4. Got rid of a lot of "friend" baggage - again, this was due to being laid off. The true colors of those I thought I knew shone through and I am thrilled to have exited stage right from that entire dramatic production. Although, I got text messages from 1 person in a starring role and another in a supporting role on Christmas Day. The holidays - the most weird time of year!

5. I got to know some other friends a lot better and I am very happy to report that I think these are folks that will be around for the long haul. They are the sort that I share a lot of values with and who are also becoming a great support system - people I know I can count on when it really hits the fan. You know how good of friend you are to someone when you are honored to be on the "short-list" of immediate notifications when their new baby arrives.

And, so, some resolutions for 2007:

1. Expand my business by 50% over the course of the year. I did about $17,000 in sales this year and I would love to see that number double, but a more realistic goal is to increase to about $26,000 - this would be in a ramp-up to try for $50,000 in my third year, something that I truly think that I can do.

2. Pay off all of my unnecessary debt in preparation for buying my own place this year.

3. Nice lead-in from #2 - buy my own place. My dream would be to buy back the house that I once had. I loved that house with it's huge kitchen, porch in the front and yard in the back. But, alas, my income is a far-cry from what it would take for that, so I'll just "settle" for anything with a mortgage that isn't any smaller than what I'm currently renting. (For those that need to know - 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, ~1,000 square feet, and a garage). A pantry and linen closet would be nice additions!

4. Exercise a heck of a lot more. OK, so this one is forced from my doctor, but still, it's a goal. And besides, what resolution list would be complete without the "losing weight, eating right, exercising more" lie that we all write down.

5. Make better use of my time. I've decided that my mantra for 2007 will be "How Bad Do You Want It" and my theme song will be the title of the same name by Tim McGraw. Hopefully, this will help me make some better decisions about how I spend my time - as in, "is what you are doing right now moving you closer to your goals?" If the answer is no, then I need to change what I am doing.

Here's to the arrival of 2007 - MY year!!