Daily Gratitude: I’m sure many of you read this and thought two or three things: 1) Terrie is crazy 2) Yes I have all the dishes ready to be made and the turkey is in the freezer, etc. and/or 3) “no way am I anywhere near ready”. Despite these three choices, I meant something totally different. Thanksgiving is just that – a time to give thanks, not a time to stuff your turkey (and yourself). This is a great time to start planning for the new year. Ok I hear you groaning and getting ready to scroll away. That’s fine. But….what if? What if you took some time to actually write down (either on paper or electronically but getting it out of your mind somehow) all that’s happened in your life since Jan 2024. I’m talking about you and your life and the things you can control. Too many people will focus on the election or the hurricanes etc. In general, these are not things you can control. Why would you want to do this? Well, if you’re interested in making 2025 a better and more productive year, you need to set your sights. You can’t just point a gun somewhere, close your eyes and pull the trigger. That’s what too many of us do every year – we close our eyes and just take each day without a purpose other than getting through it. If this suits you, then continue on. But if you want more, you have to plan it and take action. Wishing wont get you there. The law of attraction works but there are so many components to it that people don’t want to bother implementing them and so they say it doesn’t work. But anyway, the key is not only to plan in specifics but to make it measurable. Most of my 2024 goals had numbers on them. And this week I will assess them to see where I stand. That will help shape my goals for 2025. That’s also why I want you to create your thanksgiving list now! The list will tell you what went well and what you need more work on. And in this case it’s “legal” to use “but”. For instance something like “I am grateful (and if that phrase bothers you, just write the thing down) that I ran 3 major races but I didn’t do as well on x race as I’d wanted. If I do Y action in 2025, I should able to achieve z”. Or you may be happy with what you did achieve. The point is to write down these things you did in 2024 to use them as a marker for your 2025 goals and plans. They are like the sideline markers in football. Maybe on one thing you achieved what you wanted to do so that’s a touchdown. On another, you’re almost there. That’s like being on the 10 yard line. And so on. Doing this will both enhance your thanksgiving and help you get ready to set your new goals or aims.