Have you got 20/20 vision?
Okay, I don’t mean eyesight (because let’s face it, my first eye surgery was at age 4 and I’m still sporting these glasses with an ever-growing prescription).
I’m talking about VISION.
Have you started casting your vision for 2020?
This is not just a new year coming up. This is a NEW DECADE, a new era. What do you want these next 10 years to look like and bring?
Since I’m not an expert in this area, I’ve had to do a lot of research (I’ve found Brendon Burchard to be a great resource for this topic). I’m not naturally organized or productive – not at all. But I’ve chosen to not use that as an excuse, but rather as a challenge to improve on, because I see the value in it. And I’ll take all the help I can get.
I’m also choosing my words more carefully. Instead of “I’m not good at that”, I try switching to “I’m getting better at that”.
Now, I’m not a huge fan of New Years Resolutions. But if that’s the only time you work on goals, then that’s a great start. I do believe, however, that you should constantly be setting goals/having plans.
What would this week look like if it was really successful? What would today look like? What would the next hour look like? And slowly break it down into steps/chunks to work toward that. Of course, know that these ideas may change over time, just adjust your sails as you go along (but don’t use this as an excuse for giving up entirely). Keep moving forward – in any way. It all adds up.
Try this: Imagine it’s the END of 2020. Imagine this year has gone by in a very successful way. What would that look like you? Go ahead and write that down. Physically write it. Write it as if it has already happened (why? Here’s the science behind it from Forbes, Inc, HuffPost, and Brian Tracy), like:
• “I’m so grateful that I’ve taken on 10 more students”, or,
• “I’m celebrating that I’ve achieved [this rank/promotion] in my business”, or the all-important,
• “I love that I commit to 24 hours every weekend of no social media/emails so that I can focus that time on my family”.
I would then also take it a huge leap forward here and say, what about the end of 2030? Beginning with the end in mind, what needs to start happening now for that 2030 goal to be realized?
If you’re wanting to go the vision board route, great (although don’t put so much pressure on yourself that it becomes counter-productive). Here’s a layout I came across where the color coordinates with optimizing the topic:
Many people enjoy the simplicity of SMART goals. I love that these make things more doable, and more easily attainable (and realistic in term of steps to achieving them).
Every week, think of 3 goals you have for next week.
Every morning, wake up earlier than everyone else (I know, I know, just try it – this night owl over here can feel your pain), and think about 3 “must do” things for the day, and assign it to certain times through the day. Really, take out a note pad, or your phone’s notes section if you’re not a paper person, and write it. If you use a planner, add it in a time slot. If you don’t use a planner ( I tend to gravitate toward productivity-based ones like this or this), set an alarm on your phone. But write those 3 “must do” items down (like paying a bill, submitting something before its deadline, etc.). If it’s something different, then also add in your top 3 goals/priorities for the day. You’d be surprised how much more achievable things are this way.
Use this time to plan and visualize your day (see it going well), and begin with a quiet time of either reading devotions (also check if your church offers “Right Now Media”), or doing a self-improvement workshop, podcast, or Ted Talk to jump start your day (I have some suggestions that I’ll be adding to a new post soon).
Remember that it’s not just about paying bills on time (though that’s important), but make sure you’re looking to grow in these areas:
• Health and wellness (check out the event page to see when the next class is)
• Self improvement and spiritual growth
• Self care (you cannot pour from an empty cup)/emotional health - article coming on this too
• Charity/giving back/contributions
• Financial freedom (Have you done Financial Peace University yet?). Check out this article too.
• Quality family time/experiences/friends/love
How are you being more significant?
Don’t wait for the new year, start now!
And just to add to it, tonight’s full moon (the last of the year, the last of the DECADE) was impeccable. It was huge (even if you can’t see so in my pic), it was bright orange to start, and it was powerful. It’s the biggest I’ve ever seen the moon. It made an impact.
Be like tonight’s moon: Wow people, grow, make an impact, exude light.