Today is Your Day

Hey friend, where are you since the last time we connected?  Are you on your way to becoming a badass?  Have you taken one simple step to move towards becoming a badass?  If not, what is holding you back?  Is it Fear?  John Lee Dumas often says fear is an acronym for False Evidence Appearing Real.  Don’t let that false evidence hold you back from the amazing life you’re supposed to live.  Push past that fear; I think you will find the more you do, the easier it becomes to get over it.

“Today is your Day, nothing can stand in your way.” Shania Twain.  Is today your day?  What are you allowing to stand in your way?  We are approaching the new year.  With the new year comes anticipation and often times an expectation of what’s to come.  Many of us set new goals or resolutions for ourselves.  We set these big crazy goals and then feel overwhelmed by them and quit within the first few weeks.  Who are we really selling short by not accomplishing our goals?  In reality nobody else cares if we didn’t accomplish our goals.  Often times our unaccomplished goals quickly go by the waste side until the following year.  According to Business Insider “80% of New Year’s Resolutions fail by February.”  80 percent, that’s crazy right?!  That means only 20 percent will continue on trying to accomplish their resolution, past February and I don’t want that to be you friend.  You are better than that and I want more for you!
Personally I love love love the new year.  It’s a time for self-reflection and letting go. In with the new and out with the bad.  The possibilities for the new year are endless.  You can be anyone you want to be this year.  We often feel like we have to fit into the mold other people want us to, but the truth is that’s all on you.  Give other people a chance to see the real you, sometimes they will shock you. 

I was reading an article from Neville Medhora and he said “If you’re not embarrassed by who you were 12 months ago you didn’t learn enough.”  I love the quote because it reminds me how we should constantly be growing and changing.  Think about it, one year from now you could be embarrassed of the person you are now.  A lot can happen in a year.  Maybe you will think, wow 1 year ago I was so ordinary.  I just lived an easy simple life, rather than challenging myself to be and do the things I wanted to do.  Where do you want to be?  I would argue that trying and failing is better than not trying at all.

Let’s talk a bit about ways to be successful with New Year’s resolutions.  First, consider thinking about this past year, prior to setting your goals.  It is important to reflect on where you’ve been to determine where you are going.  I am a part of a Mastermind group to set and accomplish my goals (both in business and in life).  We went through a little drill which I found very useful and I will share it here.
First, make 3 columns on a piece of paper one column says stop, another says start and the last says keep.  What do you want to stop doing, start doing and lastly what do you want to keep doing?  Write down as many answers come to mind.  Find a quiet place and do this for 30 minutes or so.  Try not to filter your answers.  Second, create a vision statement for 2019.  What will this next year of your life look like?   Lastly, set 3 goals for the next 90 days.  Looking at the short-term goals is sometimes easier and more manageable.  Then in 90 days set and tackle new goals.  Goals can be crazy hard and daunting, which is why I find it useful to break them up into smaller pieces.  After you have your 3-month goal break them down to monthly goals, weekly goals, and lastly your daily goals.  Ruth Soukup has a great episode on goal setting, on her “Do it Scared” podcast.  It’s episode 15, you should check it out!

Also, consider reviewing your goals every day or writing them on 3×5 cards and putting them in places where you will see them.  For example, place it on the dashboard of your car or in your purse.  The more we see them the more it will remind you to take action.

Visualize yourself every day, as being a badass.  Consider using the law of attraction, which states “The universe responds to whatever you are offering.”  Whatever you put out, you get back.  So, put it out to the universe that you are a badass!  Before you think this is hokey, and say it’s not for me, go ahead, give it a try.  Jack Canfield (author of Chicken Soup for the Soul and Success principles) suggests you close your eyes every day for several minutes and visualize having what you already want and feel the feelings of having it.  I tell ya, I used to be one of those critics who didn’t believe in this.  I was lucky enough to try it and it has worked wonders.  Last year I ran my first race, which was a marathon.  Approximately 5 days a week I would try to visualize myself running the marathon, crossing the finish line, and I imagined all of the excitement I would feel.  I attribute that to much of my success with the marathon.  The thought of finishing a marathon didn’t seem so out of this world.

When it comes to goals, Keep moving forward in small incremental steps.  I like to think of it as being like Dory from finding Nemo.  “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.”  If you are struggling, I challenge you.  What is the smallest, simplest, easiest thing you could do every day to move you towards your goal?  We like to think we have to dedicate a lot of time towards our goals every day, but that’s just not the truth.  Consistent action beats inaction any day.  At the very least, be a minimalist when it comes to accomplishing your goals.  Sometimes when you give yourself permission to work towards your goals for a minimal amount of time it takes the pressure off.  It also prevents you from feeling like a failure or from feeling guilt for not getting around to it.  If I say I am going to write for 15 minutes a day it does two things.  First it takes the pressure off, and second, I don’t beat myself up for not doing anything (because I took action, even if it was small).  With the goal of writing for 15 minutes, I would start and then often find myself writing for 30 minutes.

The last thing to remember when accomplishing your goals is to make the most of your time.  Time is precious and we can’t get it back.  Whether you act, or don’t act, you’re still making a decision.  One of my favorite quotes is from Dr. Howard Thurman, and it states the following: The ideal situation for a man or woman to die is to have family members standing with them as they cross over.  But imagine, if you will, being on your death bed and standing around your bed are the ghosts of the ideas, the abilities, the talents, the gifts, the dreams, given to you by life.  That you, for whatever reason, never pursued those dreams.  You never did anything with those ideas.  You never used those talents.  You never used those gifts.  You never took advantage of those opportunities.  And there they are standing before you around your bed, looking at you before you take your last dying breath, looking at you with angry eyes saying “We came to you only you could have given us life, now we must die with you forever. 

Dr. Howard Thurman. 

Time is ticking my friends.  Don’t let the clock run out.  Don’t die with the ghosts of your unused talents and gifts around you.  Visit a graveyard (or imagine being at one) and seeing the tombstones of all those who died before you.  Think of all of the ordinary people that lie there and never got to get their special gifts out to the world.  They could have helped you with that one thing you’re struggling with.  That being said, who are you ignoring and not helping, by not getting your dreams and talents out there?

As you head into this new year don’t be afraid to reflect on last year.  What went well what and could you improve upon?  Remember YOU are a badass warrior and you can take on any challenge you set your mind to.  You were not meant to be ordinary, boring or simple.  You were meant for greatness.  Get after it my friends and remember “Today is your day.  Nothing can stand in your way.” Shania Twain.