Wednesday, January 7, 2015

2015: A new Year of Adventures, Learning and Experiences!

While we begin to think about the next year at the end of the current year, very few do so with due seriousness; and, as a result, few real and serious goals are set for the New Year. As 2014 just ended, we probably thought about what we did, what we accomplished and what really happened. For some it was a year of challenges and changes; for others, it was a year of learning, experiences and exploration. For me, I can summarize this year in one word

ADVENTURE!

In an article I wrote earlier this year, I commented after an article that I read that at the beginning of 2014 we all had 365 days ahead of us. Days, at that time still blank, which could filled with whatever we wanted: new ideas, thoughts, business, jobs, or education; in short, everything new. For some people it was a combination of all this plus something else, such as writing our words and ideas; or embark in new actions, goals and activities. Those days would be filled with all our experiences with our family, friends, work colleagues or university friends. Some of those would be good days or excellent days (never bad ones as Zig Ziglar once said). Well, the same is true for 2015, as we have 365 days ahead of us.

I ask a lot of questions so I get a lot of answers. This means that for some people, the year 2014 was - as I was told - a quiet or normal year. For others, it was a really difficult year. To you my friends, a warm hug of solidarity and appreciation. For a few, as someone told me a few weeks ago, the year was more or less the same as previous ones; in that case, however, my comment was that it might have been the same but that it was also different, given the experiences we've all had in the last 12 months.

But, for most, I'm sure, 2014 was a year of adventures. As I try to do sometimes, I searched the definition of Adventure and the Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy defines 'Adventure' as:

1. Occurrence of an strange event;
2. Chance, or contingency;
3. Uncertain Outcome or something that presents risks.

You can see the year as a change or a challenges depending on your personal attitude, which has had to be a positive one in everything we do. If we do so, we need to figure out how 2014 was a year of personal motivation, positive attitude and continuous growth and learning. There is no other way to see any kind of year. We have an obligation: to always motivate others. And we need to start seeing 2015 as the year for 'highly motivated teams'.

As we embrace the new 2015, with more energy, emotions and of course prepared for more changes and challenges, how do we prepare for it? When I talked with my kids about 2014 they told me that it was a "different and unusual" year. We might see our future different from the past and better than the present. Nobody knows what the future holds; just understand that it is up to us to define what we do with it and in it. Our decisions will guide us along the way and take us through the path that will result from our actions.

In this new 2015 full of challenges but also full of hope, with 365 new and ready to be filled days ahead of us, with changes and decisions to be made, we will need to define our course of Action. There will be uncertain adventures and events, but let’s work so that they are the result of our actions and steps. And make it a year where we all carry forward the goal to become better at our personal development: with the optimism, enthusiasm and motivation that drives us to inspire others to join us on this adventure that is our own life.

Enjoy the New Year; seize it; learn, be inspired and motivate all around you; and make 2015 a fabulous year for everyone.

Luis Vicente Garcia
@lvgarciag