Where did your internal GPS take you in 2018?

It is unfortunate that in our age of advanced technology that we have not been able to create a GPS for life.  You know, one that tells you to turn right, turn left, take the motorway (my GPS voice is a lovely British lady named Mandy), please turnaround when possible and you have reached your destination.

No, life is full of long drives, wrong turns, short trips, long trips, bad trips, good trips, trip ups and of course great rides to great places.  If you find yourself at the beginning to 2019 with whiplash from an out of control internal GPS there are things you can do get to back on course.

Look at your mistakes honestly and assess where you made bad turns.  The wonderful thing about a new year is that it's a new opportunity to course correct.  When we can acknowledge our mistakes, we can correct them or at least move beyond them.

Forgive yourself for past mistakes, and move on.  Don't let the past control your future.   I was traveling in the D.C. area this past week, and if you make one wrong turn in that area you can end up in Richmond or Baltimore before you know it.  The best thing to do is stop, find out where you are and make a quick course correction.  Don't beat yourself up for getting off course.  It happens to all of us.  Get back on course and continue on with your life.

Always be ready to head down roads that are unfamiliar.   In the process of getting off course once this week I found a new way to get to my destination without going on the Beltway.  It was like a gift from God.  A wrong turn turned into a better way of doing things.  I've been making that trip to this client for more than five years, and in one moment of uncertainty it went from a dreaded drive to a delightful drive.

Be patient with those you see who are off course.  They might not even know they're off course.  Driving in D.C. traffic can make you lose your religion.  I always feel bad for the poor unsuspecting out of the area travelers who venture into that boondoggle.  The natives are zipping along with little to no patience for a clueless traveler.  People who are off course need a friend who will help them find their way.  Be that friend this year.

Find those destinations that add to your life, and limit those that don't. There are a lot of great Realtors in the Metro-D.C. area.  I appreciate them very much.  But, I have no desire to be one of them.  I live on the other side of the Blue Ridge mountains.  It's quiet, slower, less traffic and a whole different world.  The other side of the mountain gives more opportunity for a higher income, but for me personally, the peacefulness of valley is much more valuable.  So, I limit my work over there and focus on my area.  

If your internal GPS got you off course this year, there is always time to get back on track.  Take a few minutes on this 1st day of 2019 and think about that.  What can you change this year that will help you end 2019 in a better place?  I hope you have the best year yet.  Have a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!