Make a Decision to Change

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

Here we are with 4 days left in 2012.  I’m not sure if 2012 was a great year for you or if you struggled through the days just staying above ground or putting one foot in front of the other.  Either way, you’re here.  You made it.  You’re through 2012.  All the worries about the world ending, the calendar running out of days, and zombies never happened. So,  you made it!

Now, 2013.  What’s your plan?  What are you going to do?  Are you going to just let 2013 go by or are you going to make some changes?  Do you want to do the same thing in 2013 that you did in 2012, or do you have more things in store for your life?   Do you want something but have never overcome the fear of going for it?

For me, 2012 was a  year of learning.  Thinking back, I’m not really sure what I had for goals in 2012.  I know I wasn’t worried about the world ending, but I do know that I was worried about what the next day was going to bring.  For me 2013 is going to be a year of action.  I’m tired of sitting around wondering what could be and what may happen and being fearful of taking chances.  I want things to happen for me and changes that will impact my life.  I want more time with my family, more time with people that I care about and more time doing the things I love.

One goal that I did accomplish in 2012 was a 412 mile bike ride.  Check it out here.  I’m the 7th guy from the left.  I started riding bike 2 years ago. Until then the only time I had ridden a bike was one with a motor.  I had very little experience, but I wanted to do this one thing.  How do you prepare for a 412 mile ride?  I really had no idea, but I said, “I’m going to do this” and I did it.  I finished 5th.  Some times when you are not sure what you can do,  but you set a goal, you accomplish that goal no matter what.  When you do something for the first time, you just decide to do it and you have no idea what obstacles you’ll run into.  When you run into those obstacles  you just push through them because you have made the decision.  When I think back to this challenge, I get emotional.  Sure I may have just been tired, but about mile 350, I realized that I was going to finish.  I realized that I was going to make it.  When you get that feeling, nothing is going to stop you.  In the last 10 miles, it was dark, it rained, the road was a little rough, but my speed in the last 10 miles was faster than I had ever ridden.  I had more left ‘in the tank’ than I thought.  That feeling is AMAZING!  Make the decision and just do it!

Making a decision and acting on that decision is very powerful.  I’m not sure what my challenges of 2013 will be, but I know right now that no matter what they are, I’m going to face them head on.  I’m going to make a decision to change and nothing will be able to stop me.

What are you going to do when you face 2013 head on?  What is going to keep you going past mile 350 and into the last sprint of the race?  Tell me below.