Here we are with 2017 in full swing. I find it both ironic and funny that one of the most popular memes to hit social media this season was the #newyearnewme hashtag. It seems that everyone is intent on having a better year than their last, but somewhere along the way, they get derailed. Besides, who really sticks to resolutions anyway?
As a coach, I usually see a spike in inquiries between Thanksgiving and the end of January. Why? I guess it boils down to people wanting to initiate a lasting change. Here is the good news; change does not have to be expensive or all-encompassing. So all the posts you have been reading from those in the coaching industry about their brand new packages that will take your life, family, and business to the next level might be a bunch of crap. Truth is, you hold the power in a single moment to shift your situations from pathetic to potential. There are no magic potions, hook ups, or secrets that anyone can share to change your life. Change is an inside job!
In the spirit of my online mentor Brendon Burchard, consider this your “2017 Shift Manifesto.” I am sharing with you three of the simplest things to initiate over the coming days that are guaranteed to give a new perspective on the year.
- Learn to schedule brilliance. Point blank, the biggest mistake I have seen people make is to assume that creative and brilliance is some mystical thing that rarely visits humanity. Bull! That is usually a person with a lack of discipline spewing that nonsense. Brilliance is an act of one’s will. Think of yourself this way; you can be either the thermostat or the thermometer. The difference is one only reads the temperature in the room, the other sets it. Until we learn to discipline our days to regular bouts of brilliance, we will NEVER see the success we think we deserve. I have coached tons of people who quit frankly frustrated me. They frustrated me because I could literally see their potential screaming to get out but they were unwilling to pay the price of greatness. It is never about talent or connections. It is always about overcoming your feelings and your false sense of entitlement. This leads to a lifestyle where brilliance is free to manifest because we avail ourselves of it.
- Manage distractions. I can hear you yelling, “What distractions?” However, if we are to be honest, we give ourselves over daily to stuff that only serves to distract us from our goal. In fact, some of you reading this article are doing so only because you are avoiding a task that needs to be done. I get it. I sit at my computer and before long I am off down a rabbit hole that has nothing to do with my objective. Why do we do this? It comforts us. We lie and believe we deserve a break after all the “grinding” we have put in today. The person who elevates their game to new heights does so at the expense of distractions. You cannot master your destiny until you master distractions. The self-inflicted wound erodes our potential.
- Utilize your renewable resource. One of the most powerful forces known to man is collaboration. In its purest form, it is the exchange of strengths while undergirding of weaknesses. When you invest the time in building strong relationships it pays in ways beyond quantification. At any given time, you should be able to refer to your phone’s contact list to solve any problem. The folks that are successful learn to build bridges, not walls. They value relationships and spend the time needed to cultivate them. In this digital age of instant contact, some things can only be accomplished the old fashion way. Around dinner, golf, or just hanging out, you form bonds with people. Moreover, down the line, you now have a resource that you can rely on. It is deeper than a text. It comes down to finding people you can do life with and grow mutually beneficial.
Some may say this kind of writing can cost me clients. Well, I am cool with that. If you are dealing with an issue and come across this and it speaks to your need, more power to you. My hope in all that I do is to see people around the world empowered to their own potential. Once we have this as our goal, nothing will be impossible. Cheers to an incredible 2017!
Opinion by Early Jackson
(Edited by Cherese Jackson)
Source:
Early Jackson is a social activist and curator of inspiration to empower those hungry for change
Photo Credits:
Top Image Courtesy of New Direction Coaching Associates
Featured Image Courtesy of Donald Kautz – Flickr License
