The selfish New Year

I rarely make New Year’s resolutions. It feels like too much pressure, and I have enough pressures.  Let’s be honest, I like sweets, cakes, cheesecake, peanut butter and chocolate, waaayyy too much to curtail myself. But then my desire to be healthy and strong and a role model for my kids wins out.  Plus, I totally want to look like Jennifer Lopez; in my minds’ eye, I actually look exactly like JLO, it just seems that pictures and videos of me need to catch up.

It’s rather simple. Without being 100 percent of your best possible self, how can you truly conquer the world? Launch your own company? Get promoted? Feel fantastic? This is why the airline industry emphasizes putting the oxygen mask on yourself in the event of any problems. We need to be a bit selfish to thrive and to successfully care for others. Counterintuitive, right? At the risk of generalizing, this is particularly prevalent in women and Latinos, who seek to please and serve, and in some cases to our personal detriment.

My plan for 2017 is to be selfish.

Don’t be offended and badmouth me just yet. Read on. I may persuade you to jump onto the dark side.

1. Wellness. Take note that I did not say, “I want to lose 10 pounds and be JLO.” I wrote “Wellness.” I am content with my curves but know I need to be fitter, to be well. So, I already downloaded the app, My Fitness Pal by Under Armour (supporting our local business!) to track just how much I eat, my water intake and exercise. Remember Sales 101: Only what gets tracked, gets results.

2. Mindfulness. Every year, I set a personal goal to slow down and savor the moments — the joyful moments from the cuddle sessions, silly jokes, traveling adventures to the movie, nights by the fire. To take a mental photograph. No iPhone, Android, apps, filters, Facebook, just me breathing in the awesomeness of life. Being present. I need someone to take me under their wing and show me how to do yoga properly so I can be more present. Any takers?

3. Intentional Strategy. Often, opportunities land on my lap. Or rather, I convert something interesting into an opportunity. Which is technically not very strategic; it’s too circuitous and very distracting. I’m all for serendipity and creativity, and there’s plenty of room for that, but this point covers the need to have a plan, a strategy to arrive at your goal. What are you selling? Who is the target customer? Who is your ideal referral source? Build the plan around this process. Remember “selling” isn’t just a business concept. Are you seeking funding for your nonprofit? Wooing your soulmate? Want the kids to do their chores? Then what is your process to persuade and entice? What is your strategy? Clearly delineating a strategy goes a long way to being successful and avoiding distractions.

4. Intertwine Life. I need to empower my community, I need to feed my family, I need to serve my clients and I need to dedicate time to me. So, I intertwine my efforts. I write, because I love getting into my head and being creative; my topics relate to my community and sharing our traits and stories with the mainstream. Lastly, we leverage all of these tactics to serve our clients and provide them with bilingual staff and access to Hispanics as clients. And voila, food on the table!

5. Enjoy. “Mom, I thought you started your own company to have more fun?” Ouch, the truth from the mouth of babes. Yes, I’m absolutely absorbed in growing Cool & Associates LLC, bridging opportunities for Latinos and mainstream America, and there’s always something else I sneak in before being with the kids, getting a massage, walking the dog … always “just one more thing.” The perception is I work all the time. And you know what they say, “perception is reality.” So, 2017, be forewarned, life will slow down so I can enjoy.

There you have it — 2017 selfishness.  And I have to say, I’m pretty proud of myself.

Amigos, how about you? What are you doing differently in 2017?

Veronica Cool is founder of Cool & Associates LLC, a business management firm specializing in financial wellness and diverse segment marketing. Her column appears twice a month in The Daily Record and can be found at www.thedailyrecord.com. Contact her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @verocool.