Focus on getting better, rather than being good.

Believing you have the ability to reach your goals is important, but so is believing you can get the ability. Many of us believe that our intelligence, our personality, and our physical aptitudes are fixed — that no matter what we do, we won’t improve. As a result, we focus on goals that are all about proving ourselves, rather than developing and acquiring new skills.

Fortunately, decades of research suggest that the belief in fixed ability is completely wrong — abilities of all kinds are profoundly malleable. Embracing the fact that you can change will allow you to make better choices, and reach your fullest potential. People whose goals are about getting better, rather than being good, take difficulty in stride, and appreciate the journey as much as the destination.

We're halfway through January already!  Are you doing what you said you'd be doing?

Now is the time to evaluate your time wasters.  These are activities you do on a regular basis that you don’t particularly enjoy and that don’t produce any meaningful benefits. This could be anything from sitting in front of the television, to surfing the Internet, to creeping on your friends on Facebook, to tinkering in the garage. Once you’ve recognized the activities that take a good chunk of your time, you can take steps to change your behavior.  You don’t necessarily have to eliminate them, but you do have to moderate them.  Some things are not necessarily wrong, they’re just not necessary.

Make the Most of Your Time on Earth.