We will soon say goodbye to 2013 and all it brought. Each year we end and start chapters in our lives, but they mean nothing if we do not learn from each chapter and express gratitude for the journey. Before you sit down to enjoy your old year’s manicou and dumplings, consider the baggage you carried with you in 2013 and figure out how to lighten the load so you can soar to new heights in 2014.{{more}} Here are a few things you might want to discontinue as we approach the end of the year.

1. Cranky people. If you spent most of 2013 complaining and talking about all the people who seem to be after you, then the problem is you. Stop wasting your time keeping track of what people say about you. They will always talk, so get over it and go pursue your dreams.

2. Public online therapy. Social media has given us too many ways to vent frustration. Let this be the last year where you air your dirty, personal laundry so the world can know about the fights you have with family, friends, ex-lovers and bosses. If you post a bunch of scriptures and motivational quotes and later you post crazy rants that attack others, you are painting a picture of an imbalanced person.

3. Your part-time lover. Come on, you deserve better than that. Why play second fiddle and be someone’s play toy? The temporary thrill can leave a lifetime of emotional damage.

4. Self-imposed limitations. The problem is often not others, but the self-defeating thoughts and limitations that consciously and unconsciously sabotage our attempts to achieve our goals. You are the architect of your destiny. Reprogram your mind daily and come out of those dark mental places that keep you living, acting and believing you are mediocre.

5. Your addictions. This one is easier said than done, but it is possible. Think not only of drugs and alcohol, but what else consumes you and prevents you from being your best. Are you addicted to food, sex, thrill-seeking, gambling or even shopping. If the behaviour is destructive, it is time to act and move towards healing.

You can probably think of much more, but whatever has been holding you back, leave it in 2013 and prepare to step into 2014. Get a journal and write at least 50 things you are thankful for, from the simple act of breathing to having a place to call home.

I would like to say thank you to all my clients, friends, and business partners who helped to make all my efforts in St Vincent and the Grenadines a success in 2013. I appreciate you and thank you for your support. Here’s to a prosperous New Year.

Karen Hinds is “The Workplace Success Expert.” For a FREE SPECIAL REPORT on Avoiding Career Killers in the Workplace, send an email to info@workplacesuccess.com
Visit online at www.workplacesuccess.com