1169 words of content including 5 Big Steps, 4 Leadership Tips, and an invitation to More Happiness. Approximate reading time: 4.67 minutes. And isn't your Happiness worth it?

Welcome to my e-newsletter, which focuses on defining and applying the Principles of Happiness and Positive Emotion in your life and work.

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1. Feature: Five Steps You Can Take Now to Make Next Year Better
2. HEADS UP: More Happiness?
3. In the Workplace: Start Now to Succeed Next Year
4. About the Coach

Have you ever watched a construction site? First plywood fences go up to establish a safe area and... nothing. Every day, you walk or drive by and nothing changes. This continues for months. You might even think, "did they stop this project?" Then one day you notice a few steel girders peeking above the fence and in what seems like no time at all you are looking up to the sky.

You see nothing happening because the initial work is underground. Once the foundation is poured and the utilities connected, a new building can appear to spring from the ground.

If you want to personally spring from the ground and make 2013 one of your best years ever, start now to build a solid foundation for success.

1. Confirm You're Working on the Right Stuff. If you have not already done so, sit down and write out your personal (core) values. What is truly important to you? If you don't know, your foundation will be shaky.
   
   Download this Core Values worksheet from my website to help you with the exercise.
2. Examine Your Current State. Divide a sheet of paper into three columns. Label them Stop, Start, and More. Capture your responses to the following three questions:
   • What do I need to STOP doing that is getting in my way or draining me?
   • What do I need to START doing because it is missing for me?
   • What do I need to do MORE of to support me in my life and work?
   
   You can do this in an hour or over several days. Notice what themes emerge as you scan across the columns. That's what you need to work on next year. (You can also do this on a wall with sticky notes.)
3. Strive for Balance. If you notice tension in your life, it may in part come from lack of balance between your different parts, e.g. Relationships, Family, Career, Finances, Health, Fun, Physical space, and your Spiritual self. Use this worksheet to discover where there are flat spots on your life wheel.
4. Dream Big Leaps; Plan Small Steps. Great goals inspire, so don't be afraid to imagine big differences and bold moves for yourself. Be careful, however, that the Big Goal does not frighten you into paralysis.
   
   Instead, break it down into tiny pieces. Use the next six weeks to write, rewrite, and flesh out the details of your goal(s). What will success look like? What is the first step you will take? The second? The 20th? You only need to take one step at a time to complete a long journey.
5. Keep It Reasonable (for you). After you write down all possible goal ideas, narrow down the list to no more than three. The strength to say No to a glorious and inspiring goal is just as important as the courage to say Yes. You cannot do everything, and it will be better if you strive for and achieve one goal than if you work on ten yet finish none.
   
   What if you love them all? Use the time between now and year end to sit with your goals. Read them every day; notice which ones continue to keep you excited. Six weeks from now you'll know which ones you want to carry into 2013.

Digging out the foundation is a messy business, and it can be discouraging because you don't make visible progress above ground. Rest assured that if you do the work, get your hands dirty, and use this time to dance around and make friends with your goals, by the time you hit New Year's Day you will be amazed at how fast you can build a successful year.

The 13 Principles of Happiness offer other practices to build your foundation for Happiness. Download a copy to inspire you or to share with others.

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10-13-15-100. In the year 2013 I will celebrate:

• The 10th anniversary of...The 13 Principles of Happiness, plus
• My 15th year of business, and...
• The 100th edition of this newsletter

SPECIAL NOTICE: Between now and year-end you will receive several OFF-CYCLE emails from me. This will be a temporary shift as I actively recruit some of you into a new conversation about Happiness and Leadership.

I honor my promise to you to keep this newsletter a monthly communication.

However, in 2013 I will celebrate all year with new projects, publications, some public classes, and lots of exciting offerings of Happiness and Leadership, and this monthly venue is too small to contain all the Happiness I am planning! So I've set up a new distribution list called MORE HAPPINESS.

This new list will still get Happiness @TheSpeedofLife each month PLUS 3-5 additional messages each month of 2013. MoreHappiness subscribers will also get first notice of new publications, bonus offerings, first crack at some new classes I'm offering, and the occasional opportunity to help me create something totally new.

P.S. If you are quite happy with this monthly 'zine, just ignore the extra notes. They'll stop after 12-31.

CAN'T WAIT? If you want to get on the list immediately, go there now.

INVITATION TO SHARE: I am collecting stories from readers about how you have used the 13 Principles of Happiness in your life or work. Go here to share your story about The 13 Principles.

IN THE NEWS: Columnist Jack Marschall interviewed me for his column in the Sun Papers last week.

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For ten years I have issued an annual reminder to leaders regarding performance feedback and relationship-building. The reminder always shows up in December or January.

You know what? That's too late!

If you are not already holding monthly (or more frequent) performance conversations with your team members, there's no time like now to change your habits. If you want to enter the new year with more effective leadership habits, start right now.

1. Have a one-on-one session with at least half the people on your team each week between now and 12-29. By end of year you'll have started to create some new momentum around dialogue and learning.
2. Sit down for five minutes (per person on your team) and capture notes on performance - what you've seen them do well year-to-date, and where you recommend they focus to get even better.
3. Share your notes with each person, and invite them to add anything you've missed.
4. Have a short conversation about what else they need/want to accomplish by year end. (With seven weeks left in 2012, there's still time to deliver - but if you wait until mid-January to talk about it, the deadlines will have passed....)

Remember, Leadership is not about a title: Anyone can be a leader who makes it a priority to nurture relationships and help others grow and develop.

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Hi, I'm Jim Smith, PCC, The Executive Happiness Coach^®. I work with smart, successful people like you, who sometimes struggle with the relentless demands of your role. I help you dramatically improve your effectiveness as a leader, balance your life, and build a more positive workplace culture.

I have helped thousands of leaders and business owners just like you lead your organizations in new ways AND live a happier, more balanced life. Contact me to learn how you can create a less-stress leadership presence.

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All things Happiness Coach:

Blog: www.LifeWithHappiness.com. Connect on LinkedIn, Facebook.

             

View past editions at http://www.TheExecutiveHappinessCoach.com/newsletter/archives.cfm.

Copyright © 2012, All Rights Reserved. Reproduction for publication is encouraged, with the following attribution: "From HAPPINESS@THESPEEDOFLIFE, by Jim Smith, PCC, The Executive Happiness Coach®. For more tips on Leading with Less Stress, visit www.TheExecutiveHappinessCoach.com."

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