10 Positive Ways to Kick Off 2011

1. Meditate. If you don’t and/or think you can’t, click to purchase Holosync, which will do all the hard/mindful work for you. WHY? Because using meditation, particularly Holosync, will enable you to follow through on the rest of your goals for 2011.

2. Find a workout buddy. WHY? People are much more likely to exercise consistently if they have someone else who is counting on them to work out.

3. Increase your water intake to a minimum of 3 bottles per day. WHY? 80% of daytime fatigue is due to dehydration. 25% of our food intake would be unnecessary if we were less tired.

4. Start a gratitude blog with your friends. Corny? Yes. Effective? Absolutely. WHY? Research shows that focusing on daily gratitude increases happiness significantly. How do I know? I did one last year with a bunch of friends and all but one of us got happier.

5. Take vitamins. Specifically, B-complex, ginseng, omega 3’s and a multi. WHY? If you’ve been at all affected by the economy these past years, chances are you’ve been exposed to extended stress. Extended stress causes our adrenal glands to continuously produce cortisol, a hormone that regulates our body’s response to stress. Eventually, the adrenals stop working, cortisol levels plummet, your body is left with no effective method to deal with stress and you’re left with Adrenal Fatigue. WHY should you care? Adrenal fatigue causes us to feel like we have A.D.D., kills our sex drive and generally exhausts us.

6. Pick a hobby. Something you’ve enjoyed in the past or something you’ve never tried, it doesn’t matter. Just an activity that brings you joy and that has no productive byproducts, i.e., not a networking group. WHY? It will give you the balance you need in life to push through the daily chores without wondering what the point of life is.

7. Commit random acts of peace. You know what the big opportunities are: You’re walking out of the subway and a woman with a stroller is looking around for someone to lend a hand up the stairs. But I’m talking about the less obvious moments in life that we often miss. For example, when people are angry, stupid or selfish with you, respond with forgiveness. You might also walk away from a conversation where someone’s gossiping, or speak in another’s defense in their absence. WHY? Studies show that random acts of kindness/peace have an enormously positive effect on our happiness.

8. Adopt the 100/1 Principle. Begin the New Year by expecting zero (0) from others and by taking 100% responsibility for everything in your life. Unnatural? Yes. Effective? Beyond. WHY? Not only will your daily frustrations plummet (no more blame game), others may begin to ‘voluntarily’ offer more assistance because you no longer expect them to.

9. Read the book Comfortable With Uncertainty by Pema Chodron. Western culture teaches nothing about making peace with discomfort. We dispense pills to numb it. This book is a short read with deep lessons. You’ll read it again and again. WHY bother? Life includes uncertainty and discomfort. This book will help you make peace with and learn how to breathe through those moments.

10. Smile. At everyone. The cab driver, the cranky woman behind the counter, strange doormen. Human nature is to smile back. It’s involuntary. Smile at a baby and she’ll smile back at you. Try it for 30 days and see what happens. By 2/1/11, you’ll notice that your community becomes much more welcoming, kind and supportive of you.