Great in 2008

Not everyone knows but I have to confess I am big on News Years resolutions. I love to make a committment to do something and to try something new. I get excited thinking about what I want to change in my life and how to do something NEW, maybe DIFFERENT, or be BETTER!

My resolutions are written down so they can be tracked from month to month or every few months. Time is set aside time every week or sometimes a few times a month to reflect about how I am doing and what I can do different. Last year I did something that shows I have taken my resolutions to a new low (at the time I thought it was clever). My resolutions were designed with measureable performance levels so my progress could be rated in the same fashion in which employers give performance reviews to their employees. I thought it was creative but in retrospect I see where I took the New Years Resolution concept too far (measuring my resolutions like performance goals...am I a geek or what)!

So this year I have been working on my resolutions and am behind on creating them & finalizing on what I want to achieve and instead of looking at how I can improve myself I'm going to focus on my failures.

Winners...They are perfect and they won! Good for them.

Losers...everyone can relate too. Everyone knows what's like to fail, to come up short, to miss perfection in one area of their lives.

Consider Leroy Jenkins. Leroy Jenkins is an online character in a popular internet game (I think it is World of Warcraft but I'm not 100% certain). Leroy gained his fame & notority for a 4 minute clip that can still be found at break.com, utube.com, as well as few others (google Leroy Jenkins and you should be able to find a 3 to 4 minute clip that is hilarious). Leroy was a member of a group of warriors going in to defeat a number of extremely difficult monsters in a lair. This group is huddled outside the lair drawing up their battle plans. These guys are determined to win because they are drawing up elaborate battle plans. (Most of the 4 minute clip is the group planning their attack) Out of now where Leroy screams his name and runs into the lair by himself thus breaking away from his group. All the group members can't believe it and don't want Leroy to die so they run in after Leroy. In their attempt to run in and save Leroy all the party members end up getting slaughtered and curse Leroy for spoiling their plan of attack and their deaths.

When I saw the clip on break.com it was just a funny clip and fun to scream LEROY JENKINS. I had no clue how big it would become. Leroy Jenkins like antics are recreated & filmed to be posted on the internet, Leroy Jenkins T-shirts can be found in a few stores, in Japan their are groups of teens who react the battle scence for comedy, Leroy was even referenced on Jeporady. In an article about the episode in question the only conclusion the reported could come to was everyone can relate to a loser. Everyone has lost something, someone, or just blown it at some point in their lives.

I think to a certain point everyone who loses ends up at a point to gain more and grow more then those who consistently win. Failure allows us only one precious activity: reflection on what we did wrong and how to improve or how not to repeat the same mistake again. Failure can be conduit for learning and growth. Winners rarely reflect on how to do something better...after all they have to soak up the lime light, let everyone pat them on the back, drink their champagne, and look good.

As I contemplate what I want to pursue in 2008 I am thinking back to 2007, 2006, and even 2005. Where have I failed? Where have I not given 100% when I wanted too or needed to? Where have I not done enough or not done what I promised? Are their patterns? Are there things I could do differently? Were most of the failures determined by things out of my control or could I have influenced some areas to have better outcomes? Can I live with my failures again, again, and again? Will I make the same mistakes this year or will I act differently?

Only 2008 will tell.

If anyone ever notices I seem lost in thought or in my own little world there is the chance I am just day dreaming. There is also the chance I am considering what I learned from a failure and am figuring out how to apply that lesson to current problem.

In reality I'm probably just day dreaming so don't interrupt the day dream!