It's the binary lover's favorite day today! 01-01-10! Not only is the start of a new year, a new decade, but also hopefully the start of a NEW more positive real estate market. Ah, well, we can all hope.

The past few weeks have seen a number of ActiveRain bloggers post about the New Year / Goals / Turning over a new leaf. Here's a summary of my favorites..............................................................................

1. Carra Riley's Four Part post on GOALS is my absolute favorite goal-oriented series. If you haven't set your goals yet (shame!!!) there is still time. Start here... Don't avoid this crucial step in your path to success. By the way, I just discovered there's an entire GOAL SETTING 2010 channel here on AR. Who knew?

Carra's got a bright wit, and a tell-it-like-it-is approach. If you missed her COSMIC COW series (and book) you might want to join the COSMIC COW PIE group both here on ActiveRain and on Facebook. Read through her posts and you'll soon be saying, "It's not MY monkey!" and having everyone else stare at you like you're nuts. But repeat after me, It's not my monkey. It's not my monkey.

2. Want to know what the New Year might hold for real estate? Well I don't have a magic 8 ball, but John Mulkey made some 2010 Housing Predictions here and they will provide you with some good food for thought. What do you think? Is he right on, Rainers?

3. Let's try another post for predictions. AR Superstar Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman published her own list of 2010 Positive Predictions here. My favorite one is #10...My family will be happy and healthy, my business partners will be prosperous and my ActiveRain family will continue to connect and find their niche in this huge growing community ....ActiveRain Real Estate Network. Amen to that, Sally. Here's to all of us making a difference in 2010. Wouldn't that be a positive turn?

4. Steve Lloynd's post on Loon Mountain Coming Events for 2010 is a good reminde that we all need to post to Localism. It's the perfect inspiration to go out and get some hyperlocal google juice pumping to your site. I once had a member ask me why I post so many non-real estate posts here on AR. I post about local restaurants, coming events, and businesses. Why? Not for Rainers (although some seem to enjoy). No, it's all about getting out there to Localism, and ranking in the Google searches. When someone searches "schuylkill parcel locator" in google, looking for our county's real estate public records, guess who comes up FIRST? Me. And my post about how to use parcel locator. Bingo. Someone searching real estate records might need a Realtor someday, right? And I am "all over the place." My neighbor asked me recently "When I google Schuylkill County why is it that your face keeps popping up?" It was a serious question. He was boggled. I just smiled!!! So do like Steve did and post a 2010 coming events calendar. Someday maybe I'll visit your area and need it. But use it to draw readers to your site, and get name recognition. Enjoy the snow, Steve.

5. Need a KICK IN THE BUTT to motivate you to get off the couch this month? Read Christopher and Stephanie Somers' post here about Kick Starting your Career for 2010. The Somers' opened their own place in Philadelphia this past year and are FIRED UP and ready to Kick some Philly Butt. Just reading their post made me either want to sit down and make lists of marketing ideas for 2010, and plans to make changes in my brokerage firm. I met Chris and Stephanie in person at REBAR camp Atlantic City, and it is SO FUN to meet ActiveRainers in person. I saw them at the bar and walked up to them, and felt like I already knew them from reading their posts. Isn't that the best part of AR? The cameraderie and friendships? I've had "strangers" call me on the phone to ask me a question, and soon as they say "It's so-and-so from ActiveRain," it's an instant "warm call" (not cold call). I had someone call me last week who read an old blog of mine, about the software I use, and he was just calling to see if I'm still using it and if I'd recommend it to him. It moved from "stranger" asking a question to fellow Rainer who needed help. Instant rapport.

6. If you're a broker, please read this. Join me with cleaning house--your brokerage--and eliminating the bad eggs in our indsutry. Please. If you're not a broker, read it and if you agree, send it to your broker anyway. Only WE can change our industry, from the inside.

So here's to a FABULOUS 2010 for all of us. May it be prosperous, may our families all be healthy, may our businesses survive and thrive, and may we all have FUN with what we're doing. See you all in the Rain.