I’ve always found interest in the celebration we enjoy on New Year’s Eve, and the many traditions that surround it. Oddly, the New Year’s celebration is one of the oldest celebrations in this world. The earliest recording of a New Year’s celebration is believed to have been in Mesopotamia, around 2000 B.C. It was celebrated around the time of the vernal equinox, in mid March. But New Year’s Eve – a tradition in which we get dressed up on the eve of December 31st, drink champagne, sing Auld Lang Syne (or “To the good old days”), kiss the beloved at midnight, and watch football all day on the first day of January -- well, that’s just a tradition we have developed here in the new world. And rightfully so, New Year’s Eve had to be an “event.” It’s the passing of time; a time to remember the good old days, and to look forward to future adventures.

I have fond memories of being with my family on New Year’s Eve. All of us gathered at midnight on December 31st and all of us holding a cup with twelve grapes, which we had to eat during the last twelve seconds of the year. Plus, we all had to wear brand-new yellow-colored underwear (for prosperity). I believe that these were South American traditions (I’m from Colombia, South America), but they were fun ones!

Now, the biggest tradition of all, one that still puzzles me, is the tradition of coming up with a New Year’s Resolution. From losing weight and finding true love to getting a better job and learning how to manage money better, millions of people, as odd as it sounds, choose this one day of the year to make serious “promises” that sadly last about a day or two (ok, maybe a week if they are really committed). This year I took it personally and made several resolutions.

I know that a New Year’s Resolution is nothing more than a “goal.” And goals can be made any time of year, and 2007 was my personal year of goals. I made two big ones: 1) start my own company doing something I love, which I made in June 2007 and 2) start losing weight, which I made in November 2007. Neither was a January New Year’s Resolution, but both were made when I felt I was ready to make that commitment, and that is very important.

In both scenarios I had to take a series of steps. First I created my goal, I made it realistic, achievable, and measurable. So I thought of what kind of company I would like to own, and that’s when METAmigo came to me. A beginners’ website to the world of Metaphysics, Spirituality, and the Paranormal. Things I knew about and found enjoyable. Then, I thought of how much weight I wanted to lose to feel comfortable – and the answer was 100 pounds. Yikes! This is where achievable comes in. The goal can still remain 100 pounds, but I divided it by smaller goals of 20 pound increments. That way I can make sure to have small victories along the way for motivation.

Second I did some preparation. From determining whether I had the energy and funds to embark in my own business to finding a gym to work out and buying some work out clothes, preparation was the key to meeting my goal. For me, it was through meditation and education that I decided to begin the journey of METAmigo, and through the encouragement from my mother that the journey began of one day achieving the goal to lose 100 pounds.

In the third step, I began to “act”. Just a three letter word, but trust me, most people stop at step 1 or 2. So with my goals set, I went to the store and found gym shorts and shirts my size (which is not always easy) for a very low price. The gym I joined is one block from my house – and had a $1 registration special, because it had just opened. WOW. To me, this served as confirmation that the universe was on board with me achieving this goal. I also started developing a plan for the business and invested in developing my own web site and business cards. To me, it was the first step to the miles ahead, but hey, I had taken it. And that is all you can ask of yourself.

Step FOUR was important to me, “create a schedule and make it fun.” Let’s face it, I chose two goals that do take a lot of work -- developing this site to the point where it is today took me about four to eight hours per day for about four months, but I had the time. The company I had worked for relocated to a different state, and I had a six month severance package, and time on my hands as I looked for work. Yes, I also saw this as a sign that the universe was backing me up on this goal too, and providing me the opportunity to create a dream of mine, and I took it!

Everything happens for a reason. That being said, I found it essential to develop a daily routine in order to keep me focused.

The key to developing a schedule is that mentally, each task becomes engraved in the mind as an important thing to do that day. This is key to my staying on course with my goal. And for the fun part, I have met many nice people at the gym, and in the process of starting my own company, and that positive energy makes anything fun.

In step FIVE, the final step, the message is simple “don’t give up.” I know, to many of us, this is easier said than done, but believe me with the right preparation and the right actions, I believe that the universe will find a way to keep me on track.

METAmigo.com will officially launch January 1st (yes, New Year’s Day – ironic), and it is everything I hoped it would be. I am also doing one-day seminars at the Inner Space which is also something I had always wanted to do. And as far as the weight, I’m truly enjoying going to the gym. It’s been a few months, and I’ve lost over twenty pounds already. And most importantly, I am having fun!

So here’s to our good old days, “the days of Auld Lang Syne”, and to our bright future ahead.