When the New Year Comes Knocking
And just like that, another year and another decade has come and gone. Ponder that for a minute… Another decade! You are entering the year 2020. The year that used to seem so far away, it was like another lifetime, yet here she is knocking, and you are about to open that door and look her in the eyes.
If you are reading this, I know you are excited and want to think about the future and what is behind that door, but I want to ask you to wait just a minute. Let’s think about the past. Where were you when the clock struck midnight and launched us into the year 2010? What was your life like then and what is it like now? Are you where you wanted to be? Let’s really reflect on what is important to you and assess the past decade. Relationships, finance, children, health, career, travel, education. Are you where you wanted to be, going in to 2020?
If the answer is yes to all of the above, then that is great! I would then ask you to write a book outlining how you did it, so the rest of us can learn from you. If the answer is no, and you are sitting there reading this thinking “damn, 10 years already”, then let’s help each other so that when 2030 comes knocking, and she will, we can all look back and say with confidence and satisfaction, we are where we wanted to be in those areas of life which mean the most to us.
It is said that the last 10 years of life is setting us up for the next 10 years. The great thing about that is that even if you are not exactly where you want to be, in a certain area of your life, the people you have met, the experiences you have encountered, the positions you have held, and the lessons you have learned have all been preparing you for the next ten years.
So, let’s dive in! Let’s think about success and what that looks like for you. Again, there are so many categories in life and I am a huge fan of “principles”, so I want to focus on those principles which will be beneficial in helping you in your desired category and not get too granular. We want to focus on principles which can be applied to any area of life.
1. Change Your Approach
We have all heard that famous quote from Albert Einstein about the definition of insanity. “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result”. It was true 100 years ago and it is still true today. If you are not getting where you want in an area of your life, conduct an honest assessment of yourself and find a way you can change your approach to that area. A relationship? Maybe stop waiting for the other person to change and change the way you approach them. Don’t expect anything in return. Finances? Maybe you can take some advice from Jim Collins, author of “Good to Great” and make a “stop doing” list for this year. Take the money you would have spent on the items on that list and invest it. The list could go on and on, but the principle does not change. If we want to change an area of our life, we should change our approach to that area of life.
2. Educate Yourself
If you have read anything that I have written, you already know this is coming. If there is an area of your life that is not progressing as you would like, it is time to go to school! Not necessarily “school”, like a formal learning institution, but you must educate yourself in that area. There is so much material available online to use as a resource. Check out my article on “Igniting Your Personal and Professional Growth” for more on this topic.
3. Create “Action Items”
When I was 12, I went through a phase where I was getting horrible headaches. After a trip to the ophthalmologist, I learned that my “eye muscles” were weak and needed strengthened. He gave me a small wooden tongue depressor with an eye chart attached, along with specific instructions to look at the chart for 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the evening reading from the top to the bottom while moving it closer and then further from my eye. At the end of 4 weeks, doing this religiously twice each day, I returned to the eye doctor, headache free and with perfect vision. What is my point? If you want to improve something, you must have an action plan and follow it. The doctor gave me a plan of action to fix my headaches and avoid glasses, with a timeline to do it. In the same manner, we should be creating action plans and executing them with the discipline of a 5th grade boy who is terrified of having to wear glasses the rest of his life to avoid headaches.
4. Check in Regularly
You take your car for an oil change every 3000 miles. You get your teeth cleaned every 6 months. You review Facebook and Instagram regularly. How often do you check in on your life? Especially those areas of life that have the biggest impact on your future or your happiness? I don’t mean going to the bar and complaining to your buddies or the bartender about your co-worker, your spouse, or your bills. I mean really checking in. Again, I don’t want to give you specifics. Daily, weekly, hourly, or monthly, whatever you choose, but the point is, if you want to drive success, you need to check in. Make the appointment with yourself or a trusted advisor, show up, be present, and review your action plans along with the progress. Be honest here and then set some actions items you will implement, or continue implementing, along with an expected result by the next check in. Don’t forget to set your next appointment.
5. Stay Strong
Anyone who has spent any time around me during the past 10 years knows one of my favorite references is the Compound Effect. I absolutely love this book by author Darren Hardy. Simply put, small things done consistently over time will produce drastic results. Yes, it will work for you, and it can certainly work against you. Staying strong and staying disciplined in making this change, is critical to driving success in this most important area of your life. The same is true if you don’t. You will wake up and it will be 2030 and you will still be in the same situation, or worse.
There you have it! 5 simple principles we can all implement into the most critical areas of our lives to help drive optimum success. Let’s commit to this together, so that we can all go out and accomplish everything we desire during the next 10 years and beyond.