Another lap around the sun ...

Once again, the blue spinning marble that we live on has made a successful revolution around the giant thermonuclear reactor that is our sun. Another year gone, another ahead – and usually the juncture of the two serves as a reminder for us to take stock of what transpired during the last 12 months and what we have planned for the year ahead; chance to re-invent – a chance to improve our situation.
If we hope to improve our situation without knowing what it is we want to change – then it all just falls to random chance. If you want to have some say in over which direction your life moves – you’ll need a plan. The simplest of plans is to adjust our compass so that we eradicate the things about our lives that we don’t like and build on those parts that we do like.
This is a simple lesson that I have learned on the mat … to improve your BJJ Game, the easiest approach is to develop a more deliberate focus on the techniques you want to use – while at the same time, working on eradicating the one or two main weaknesses of your game.
We can use the same simple strategy for improving our day to day lives; just pick one or two things that we want to get done in the new year – and think deliberately about how we are going to achieve those things. At the same time, it’s worth thinking about eradicating one or two behaviours that don’t sit in accordance with the realization of those goals. In other words - import a couple of good habits – and export a couple of bad ones.
Of course, we don’t have to wait until New Years Day to make these changes – every single day is an opportunity to re-invent ourselves, our behaviour’s, our thinking and the way we live in the world; but if not now – at the beginning of a new year – then when?
Here I am, sitting out on a verandah, overlooking the jungle in Ubud, Bali. The sun is coming up and a new day is underway. I’ll be back home soon, after taking this week away with my family to rejuvenate before 2010 kicks off! Last year was a very busy one for me, so I am guessing this one will be too. In 2009, I visited 10 countries throughout the year – taught 100 seminars – and got a lot of other things done. And 2010 is shaping up to be just as busy – but for right now, I am enjoying the quiet of the mountain air as I wait for the little gangs of monkeys to scamper past my room on their way to forage amongst the little offerings to the gods, that the locals put out each morning. Another day – another year … another infinite set of possibilities …
Warmest wishes
JBW