December 31-January 1, 2009

Between the last day of yesteryear and the first day to a new beginning, I had the opportunity to reflect upon my successes and failures of 2008:

Successes

• Increased credit score by a significant amount



• Developed skills and techniques which increased the quality of my drum playing



• Invested a significant amount of my salary and I am continually reaping the benefits



• Established a stable financial foundation



• Increased my Motown Collection to nearly 5,000 songs



• Developed the necessary self-confidence to assist in accomplishing further goals set in 2009



• Read numerous books, far surpassing the goal I set for myself in 2008



• Obtained another success year-end review from my employer

Failures

• Establishing unconditional friendships (People seem to just have motives galore when they befriend me...part of this is my fault, but it won't be too much of an issue in 2009. I've finally owned the fact the people enter my life for a reason, and a season, but never a lifetime...it's time to develop new energy to attract people with like energy)



• Maintaining a significant level of discretion/being 'too open" with people (in other words, not being open about certain aspects of my life. I've learned that when people get angry, they tend to use your shortcomings and flaws against you...so why continue to give them ammunition?)



• Not being "too available".



• Maintaining a consistent exercise regimen (which is why i joined Bally's for 2009)



• Monitoring my diet (oh boy, did I screw up this year...thanks mom)



• Developing a "consistent physical identity" (in other words, facial hair vs. no facial hair)
  

Goals for 2009

• Get my own place ASAP



• Learn how to play the guitar



• Maintain and increase all of my successes of 2008



• Go to the gym on a more consistent basis



• Eat healthier (which includes drinking more water, ugh)

And my final goal will not only set the tone for 2009, but for the rest of my natural life:

Be mindful of those individuals who are already in my life or who enters my life; not everyone means well for you, and are often looking to achieve certain motives and intents by being associated with you. In other words, I need to choose my friends and associates a little more wiser for 2009 and beyond...

It's 2009, LET IT GO...

How do you expect GOD to forgive you when you can’t forgive others? What makes you think you can go to the altar and ask for forgiveness, yet you can’t forgive your fellow man? We all fall short of the glory in our daily walk with Christ, yet he forgives. We all fall down at times, yet we rebound, learn from our mistakes and press forward. The same applies to holding on to the past (i.e. holding grudges). There are some people who are miserable; do you want to know why? It’s because they can’t let go of what someone did to them 5, 10, 15, 20 years ago. Look, forgive this person already and move on. Trust me; they are not losing any sleep over what they did to you. And yes, forgiving also means forgetting. You can’t progress in life while allowing someone’s actions to hold you back. Be the bigger person, and you’ll receive bigger and better blessings. Welcome and embrace the future, don’t hinder it with your inability to forgive and let it go…

WHO IS KRAIG?

Impatient (This comes from being spoiled and accustomed to having things at my beck and call). I'm slowly learning that I should exercise the patience of JOB.

Excessively time-conscious (Borderline OCD about being on-time, to be early is to be on-time, to be on-time is to be late, to be late is like to never have arrived at all!)

Insecure about one's status (I'm slowly working on building confidence within myself)

Highly competitive (It's a dog-eat-dog world, you must be highly qualified in order to compete in today's society)

Hostile and Aggressive (I would like to say that I am only Hostile and Aggressive when individuals get in the way of myself making progress and accomplishing a goal, otherwise I'm calm)

Incapable of relaxation (The second you relax, someone has taken your place. NEVER REST ON YOUR LAURELS!!! Take a rest when you retire.)

High-achieving workaholic (Gotta stay busy. Gotta stay motivated. Gotta make a way for myself and my family. You have to work for whatever you want in life. Nothing is handed to you. Like my grandmother said: "Nothing in life is free...here's $10, it will keep you honest" Also you have to keep yourself occupied and busy. As they say, an idle mind is a playground for the devil)

Multi-tasker (speaks for itself)

Driven with deadlines (There's something I want you to meet: The Due Date, pleasure to make your acquaintance)

Unhappy about the smallest of delays (If it is meant to be completed by the 10th, then it should be completed by the 10th, not the 11th or 12th. That type of behavior is unprofessional and unacceptable)

Has difficulty expressing emotion (Some say that I am a stoic individual. For the most part I am, but every so often, you may catch a smile or a tear...)

Self-driven (Who else is going to motivate you to succeed?)

If you haven't figured it out by now:
I'M A TYPE A PERSONALITY