What's your plan for success in 2014?

Picture of shampaige
Picture of shampaige (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My type A brain loves making plans — daily to-do lists and sweeping strategies — and the new year is one of the perfect clean-slate moments to craft a plan.
Recently I shared a piece by Chris Brogan headlined, “You don’t need a new plan,” and to a certain extent, that’s me in 2014. I need to execute on things that have been on my plan for a while.
But then my friend Amanda Hirsch shared a post with the headline Radical Playfulness in 2014. And this section spoke to me:

2013 was about working hard.
I want 2014 to be about play.
I’m not averse to hard work; in fact, my instinct is to bear down and go full throttle to accomplish my goals, be they personal or professional.
But what if that’s a wrong-headed approach?
What if radical playfulness is the path not only to greater happiness, but also greater productivity?
In 2014, I want to try an experiment: To see what I’m capable of when I indulge myself in play. More improv, more yoga, more writing. More all of the things that light me up inside.
More joy.
Here’s to a more joyful, playful 2014.

This Baby New Year photo is used under a Creative Commons license, courtesy of photographer Becky Platt.
This Baby New Year photo is used under a Creative Commons license, courtesy of photographer Becky Platt.

Since I turned 40, I have been trying to have more fun — to make more room for passion projects and following my bliss. In my 2013 goals, I made it a priority to draw more creative people to me. I described it to one person as wanting to be around more people who live life with gusto, he loved the sounds of that, and now he and I are moving toward collaborating on a business project.
So Chris and Amanda are both helping me think about my 2014 goals.
Amanda reminded me of the importance of following my bliss, not just working harder, and Chris reminded me to go back to the things I already know I need and keep focused on making them happen.
What are your goals for 2014?

I'm Colleen Newvine, and I would love to help you navigate your evolution or revolution
Let’s work together