Ok, the fun is over, the decorations are put away, you have returned all the lame presents and got something you really wanted, the year-end sales have ended and it is time to get back to work and step into the new year.

Are you excited about the New Year or dreading it? Will 2009 be a great year for you or just more of the same?

I say make 2009 a great year by learning something new– will-power!

Yes, will is a skill and can be learned.

You can actually learn will-power and master the art of accomplishing goals. One way to do that is to harness the power of distractions. I call it the Law of Distraction! We have all had the experience of driving somewhere and arriving at our destination without remembering how we got there. We were mentally distracted.

Or perhaps you have been on a tele-conference and started to read your email and completely tuned out the phone call. You distracted yourself from the phone and didn’t even hear what was said. That is the power of distraction and if you can practice it and harness it you can accomplish amazing things.

For instance, if you want to lose weight but have a sweet-tooth, always keep a pack of gum with you and whenever you feel the need to chew on something sweet, distract your craving with gum. The same power of distraction can be used for other vices in our life as well.

Stuck at a job or with an assignment you don’t like? Distract yourself with something you do like at different intervals during the day or start a project that will keep your interest even if you only have a few minutes to devote to it each day. You will be surprised at the power that positive distractions can have to turn your will-power into a super-power.

Kirk Wilkinson is an expert on how to be happy and has been featured in national magazines, newspapers and critically-acclaimed radio shows. He is the author of The Happiness Factor.

For more tips and advice on just being happy, visit Kirk’s blog.

Filed under: Fabulous Guest Bloggers, just be happy