by: Stephanie Gonzalez photo by: Stephanie Ringleb Photography On a scale of one to ten – ten being the highest and best – how would you rate your reliability? Reliability is an important value. Being reliable means that you can be trusted for a consistent result. Think about that concept for a moment. Who’s performance can you trust to provide a consistent result? For me, the Hillstone restaurant concept is an immediate stand-out response to that question. They are one of my top picks for date night because I know what our evening will consist of. I do not have to think about any potential shenanigans that could disrupt a rare evening out with my hubby. I can rely on the basic fundamental principles of an overall great casual fine dining experience. The road to reliability flows in many different directions. Who’s performance can you rely on? What can others rely on you for? And, most importantly, what can you rely on yourself for? When we think of reliability, we often focus on what is or isn’t happening “to us.” We often focus on other people’s shortcomings. We are eager to notice strangers, spouses, relatives, or coworkers opportunities to do something different or better. It can be easy to observe someone else’s behavior, and critique it. We mention – out loud or make a mental note privately to ourselves – how someone could have handled themselves differently to get a different outcome. Worry less about how you can rely on others. Ponder more how you can rely on yourself. It has become commonplace to use January 1 as a new start, a new mile marker. Marketing campaigns such as “New Year. New You.” are splattered all over the print and digital media that we absorb every day, brainwashing us to think this is a great idea for our New Year resolution. Getting a “new you” is a giant task. I have a feeling the old you is pretty fantastic. God or the universe made you perfectly YOU-nique. I am not saying stay the same. I am saying new year – same you – with an upgrade. Although I am a big believer that anything is possible; because it is by miracle or manifestation. The fact that we try to pursue such a grandiose event can be defeating, demotivating, and counterproductive for most. How about: New Year. Same-upgraded-You. I know that may not be as headline-friendly, kitschy, or sexy. One way to achieve this is to remind yourself how great you are. You can take inventory, and make a list of what makes you great. Or, may I suggest we get more specific, and write a list of what you know yourself to be reliable for. Pick 3. Tell yourself. Write it down. Tell someone else (for accountability and the subsequent energetic gravity pull). For example: I am reliable for – and examples of how I achieve this... Being on time → I arrive 10 minutes early to every appointment Being prepared for business meetings → I create an agenda – to include the goal, topics, and action items for every meeting Doing what I say I am going to do → I list my top-3 daily tasks and don’t put my head on the pillow till they are complete Identify it, declare it, and lean into it for Q1 2023. Keep it in your wallet like a favorite fortune cookie message. Read it daily. Use this intel to shape your marketing or branding efforts. Communicate these principles to your loved ones and family. As we walk into our new year, it is important to remind ourselves who we are at our root and to put ourselves on a pathway to exhaust the full potential of that expression. Don’t listen to the noise – from outside our inside influences – that whisper in our eyes that we are not enough. Lean into the greatness that lies within us, “for us.”