Saying goodbye to 2012

Phew. I'm glad 2012 is over. I don't mind admitting it…this past year has been brutal. Without taking the time to be too specific, 2012 has been a painful year of regret over mistakes, feelings of irrelevance and impotence. It's been a year where self-confidence has been lacking and self-doubt has been ever-present. There has been pressure and stress in many forms. I've been pressed into areas that are far outside not only my comfort zone but also my skill set. Believe me, it's no fun to have to do those things you know you're not very good at.

It might just be that these feelings are still fresh with me but I seriously believe that I've never been so ready to see a year end and a new one begin. I know I sure could use a fresh start.

But now I can turn my eyes forward to a new year. 365 brand new days. 52 fresh weeks of possibility. LIke Calvin said, "It's a magical world Hobbes ol' buddy…Let's go exploring!"

As 2012 closes down, I truly believe that the only way to redeem the year is to learn from my mistakes…to take lessons from my failures and shortcomings. To set up boundries and practices to make sure I don't fall into the same traps in the new year. I'm identifying my enemies and taking stock of the weapons I have on hand. More importantly, I'm turning the switch in my brain from "Defense" to "Offense," from "passive" to "pro-active."

2013 promises to be a great year. A year of new beginnings and new possibilities. It's a clean slate. We have the potential (there's that word again!) to make a difference.

What will you do? What will you do to make 2013 a better year?