You may enjoy working on your own, and be incredibly resourceful and talented. But the worst mistake is to think that you can attain success, all on your own steam. It’s a losing game!

It’s incredibly helpful and reassuring to bounce ideas off others, to brainstorm, to share resources, and to be held accountable. Whether it be through a buddy, a group of peers, or through working with a coach or mentor, it’s important not to go it alone, both in creating a lifestyle that fits you, and in carrying out your creative projects.

This is particularly the case for those who have many passions. It’s often difficult to figure out on your own what’s more important or how best to shape your life according to your deepest values and needs. It’s difficult to figure out what should be your priorities at any given time. Others can prove invaluable in helping you stand back and get new perspectives and make wise choices.

Where do you need support? What ways can you get it. Write down some ideas on a paper, and pick one of them to act on today!

In the last post, I talked about creating a theme to guide you in the New Year.

The next step is to envision exactly what manifesting this theme would mean. What do you want to be the outcomes in your life?

For example if your theme is “2010, the Year of Simplicity”, what exactly does simplicity mean to you. Does it mean clearing the clutter in your house or office so that it is simple and easy to work? Does it mean cutting out some of the obligations of your life to make way for more time to do what you love, and avoid rushing around doing too much?  Or does it mean setting up systems so that your morning routine is simpler and more relaxed, so you get your kids out to school without having a nervous breakdown?

Look at how this theme can be manifested in all aspects of your life. Look at what changes you could make that would have the most profound impact on your life?  What would allow you to look back at 2010 and feel proud, and contented?  What outcomes would allow you to live more within the deepest values you have as a person, and help you make your greatest contribution to the world?

As an artist and coach, excited and motivated about what I do, with a constant stream of ideas about projects, along with a long list of things currently needing attention, its tempting not to take breaks. However I always find when I do take a break, not only do I get time to relax and enjoy myself but I also get tons of creative ideas for my work.

Over Christmas, I was able to take a two week break. I travelled with my husband, Eduardo and our son, Tonatiuh, to Puebla, Cholula and Acapulco, sampling some of Mexico’s wonderful places to visit.

At the same time we visited Eduardo’s family members, and Tona got to meet and play with his Mexican cousins, and nephews. Tona is already an uncle at twelve. In fact, he has a nephew who is older than him.

While Tona was hanging out with his nephews in Puebla, Eduardo and I got to spend two days in nearby Cholula, a beautiful colonial city. We saw the local ruins and pyramids, visited a small museum of Mesoamerican ceramics and artifacts, and enjoyed shopping and eating at the vibrant market in the central square.

Later we drove to Acapulco and stayed at Eduardo’s mother’s apartment. As well as hanging out with family members, we had the chance to swim in the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean, and to enjoy Acapulco’s beautiful sandy beaches which stretch for miles and miles.

We had a spectacular New Year’s Eve with family and friends on the beach, listening to music and dancing as well as viewing an amazing display of fireworks from all three sides of the bay. I particularly enjoyed playing with the kids, running back and forth with them from the large encroaching waves of the incoming tide.

Now, I am back at work, feeling well rested and renewed. The vacations allowed me to get new perspectives on what I want to accomplish in 2010, and many great ideas on how to implement my overall vision.

I am planning lots of other mini-holidays this year, as well as taking time off during the summer holidays. It’s an essential part of my business plans. What about you? Are you planning lots of play time this year? It’s been proven to heighten your creativty and productivity!

At the beginning of each year is a time to reflect on where we are and where we want to be. Some of us make resolutions and some of us have given up, knowing that these resolutions often don’t get translated into action.

One tool, I and other coaches have found useful, is deciding on a theme for the year. You choose a theme based on what you think will make the biggest difference in all areas your life, a theme that excites and resonates with where you are right now.

My New Year’s theme is “2010: The Year of Completions”. This is why. As a renaissance person, I am always attracted to doing new things, and to learning more about a wide variety of subjects. This has it’s good and bad sides. The good is that I am constantly expanding my knowledge and experience, and having a lot of fun doing it. The bad side is that I have trouble finishing the projects I start, and have put a lot of effort into.

Last year I focused a lot on creating programs and products for my coaching business. Some of these projects, to my credit, I finished. Many other projects are 70% to 90% complete. Yet it’s in the finishing that I will truly reap the rewards of my hard work. Having this theme is already helping me get some of these projects finished, and serves as a constant reminder of what my priority is this year.

What about your New Year resolutions? Is there a theme around which you could focus your intentions? Here are some possible themes: 2010: Year of Extreme Self Care, 2010: Year of Simplicity, 2010: Year of Gratitude, and 2010: Year of Embracing Creativity. Think of all the things these themes evoke, and what possible actions and outcomes they could involve.

Now get out a piece of paper and jot down some ideas of what your theme could be. Play around. Make a mind map with your ideas. Then take a break. Go for a walk. Take a bath and let your mind drift. Later come back to your notes and make a decision about what your theme will be. Yes, and make sure it excites you!

In the early years of my coaching practice, I heard about the idea of the Yuck Bucket. It’s an imaginary bucket into which you put all the tasks and things in your life that you really don’t enjoy doing and are always procrastinating about. Then you figure out a way to avoid doing it ever again or at least most of the time..

Although this is a simple idea, both my clients and I have greatly profited from this idea. It’s made our lives a lot more fulfilling, and focused on doing what we really love.

So how do you go about getting rid of these dreaded tasks? The best thing is to find somebody who strangely enough actually likes to do this kind of work! Curiously, however hard it is for you to understand, there are people in this world that just love doing the kind of work you loathe.

Let me emphasize this again, somebody else is actually tickled pink doing the things you detest. “Somebody loves the work I detest.” Repeat this mantra, until you’ve released all attachment to doing such tasks.

These strange people, who love the work you hate, are prime candidates to regularly help you empty your Yuck Bucket. The tasks will get done, and here’s the good news, your Yuck Bucket Caretaker will probably get it done a lot faster and better than you.

You can either pay them, or do some kind of exchange if cash is a problem. There’s a good possibility they actually hate doing the things you love. So you can both help each other empty your respective yuck buckets.

Even if you are paying them, you’ll find it’s more than worth it. In the end you save both time, energy and money. Try it and make the calculations yourself!

Okay, it may not be the road to true happiness. But it sure saves your from a lot of aggravation, and who needs more of that!

Being a technophobe, the computers and the internet can on some days seem like a curse. It took me a long time to even get to e-mailing a person and knowing how to make an attachment. Just trying figure out how a computer or program “thinks” was a big puzzle for a long time.

With time, practice, along with clearing some of my negative beliefs about technology, I get along pretty well now. I can even help out some of my friends and clients with tasks that before seemed way too difficult.

When I get stuck I ask my virtual assistant to do it, and to send me an e-mail later telling me the step by step process so that I can do it myself later. If it’s something too detailed and tricky for me to even to want to do it, I delegate this work permanently to my Yuck Bucket.  Then I outsource it to my VA or someone else who both enjoys this kind of work and is infinitely more competent.

Quite frankly after many years of trying to master certain technical and mechanical jobs, I’m more than happy to let these tasks go. I’ve lived too long and wasted too much of my life energy with the mistaken theory that if I tried hard enough I would be able to master such tasks. While I may have achieved some competence, mastery certainly eluded me.

I just don’t have the interest and the facility in certain areas, to ever get really good at these tasks. Setting aside my ego, that would like to excel at everything, I have liberated my life. Now I have more time for the work I really love, understand and am passionate about.

How about you? Are there some tasks that you should be leaving to others. Go make a list and figure out how to delegate them. If you are having trouble doing even this, find a buddy or a coach and do it with them. Your life is too precious to waste it on stuff you hate!