I don’t have the stomach for fear based media that tells us everything we care about in life could disappear (just after this commercial break). As a result of our rush rush rush culture, we rush through life sprinting from one milestone to the next.

We are not encouraged to think long-term. We are encouraged to grab at whatever comes our way–a reactive attitude toward our careers. Everything in our culture moves us along quick quick quick.

Do you feel you are in charge of your career decisions? Would you walk away from an offer right now if it came with a caveat that was hard to stomach? Are you so consumed by the day to day you feel like you have to do the tasks in your life you hate? Sometimes we forget that everything in life is a choice. To bring change, we need to slow down. Looking at the unfavorable occurrences of 2012 brings valuable insight into what needs to be done differently. If I do X, then I will get Y. I’m trying to live this practice myself. It takes patience and calm–not an easy thing during the holidays.

Don’t be afraid to walk away from the people or activities in your life that leave you where you know you don’t want to be. The events and people you do want to attract will come to you, but first you need to identify what you don’t want in your life. Have faith that the path you’re walking is the right one. Don’t lose faith and make knee jerk reactions for the short term.

Sometimes opportunities will come your way that come with an unfavorable caveat that’s hard to ignore. Do you take the job, client, lateral move just because in the short term it seems like a good move? Or do you take time to step back and think about where you want to be in one year’s time?