Maybe I say this every year, but this year was crazy-good. Lots going on with my family, exciting changes in my business, some personal wins, and some challenges tacked on the end. Can you relate?
As the new year approaches, I’m spending more time on closure (see my post Why your smart goals for 2015 will fail!) – pulling life-lessons from near-misses and celebrating victories.
I’m also working hard to complete my goals. I usually start this process in October, with a goal of finishing in November. This year, I’m late, but excited about the plans that are shaping up.
But, first a wish.
A wish for you
Of all the great ideas, plans, and experiences I’ve had in my life, one has always served me well.
Keep learning. That’s my wish for you – make 2015 the most scrumptilicious year of experiences you’ve ever stuck you foot in.
I know it might sound simple, but bear with me.
I’ve learned through all my screw ups, near misses, and OMG-I’m-an-idiot moments, there was always a lesson lurking under the carpet.
Here are three learning opportunities to wring the beejeezus out of in the new year.
Learning from wins
We all love to win. Too bad it’s not predictable.
We all love to win. Too bad it’s not predictable.
This year we launched SOS, our social media posting service and we’ve been adding up to five members a week since then. That was a big win.
We moved to a bigger, brighter office and renovated it (while we were in it, of course). That was a win.
Sarah, my Manager of Getting Things Done, moved to full time, plus we added five part-time people to our SOS team. Big wins all round.
More importantly, these wins taught me two very important lessons:
1. There is never a perfect time.
I could have easily waited on any of these wins. Life would have rolled on. But, I did take the step and now I’m reaping the rewards.
I think the reason more people don’t enjoy success in work and life is because there’s always some distraction in their way. Racing car drivers learn early in their career to look away from the wall they’re trying to avoid. It’s the same with distractions in life.
- Adam Braun could have stuck it out as a hedge fund manager. Instead he created Pencils of Promise, which has
already built 258 schools in just six years. - Yvon Chouinard lacked money, experience, and connections. Despite that, he turned his passion for climbing and mountain gear into the highly respected, multi-national Patagonia brand.
- Barb Stegemann told me she knew very little about perfume and international trade before partnering with Dragon’s Den’s W. Brett Wilson to launch the Seven Virtues perfume company. That didn’t stop her
Don’t wait for the perfect education, resources, money, or time. If it’s a good idea, trust in vision, hard work, faith, and consistency.
2. Consistency always trumps periodic, massive effort.
I get my blog published every week – not when I feel like it. I market my services every week – not when I have enough time. And I exercise a minimum of seven hours a week – not only when I need to.
Being consistent in your efforts trumps periodic, massive effort, every time. I call them “Hero Habits” and they are there to serve you faithfully, even when you don’t feel up to the task. Some Hero Habits to try on this year could be:
- go to bed earlier, get up earlier (see my post “Make your bed and 12 more great habits for the super-busy person“)
- exercise every day, even for just 20 minutes (see my post “Lose weight fast by changing your mind (really)!“)
- learn every day by reading (see my post “How To Finally Stop Procrastinating On Exercise“)
- be thankful and take the higher road when people wrong you (see my post “Why you should practice celebrating life, today.“)
Learning from screw ups
We all screw up. Warren Buffett makes bad investments, George Clooney has movies that bombed, and even Richard-screw-it-just-do-it-Branson has launched virgin-duds. It happens and it hurts.
This year I missed deadlines, sales targets, appointments, and even sales calls. Oops.
It’s easy to sweep screw ups under the carpet and move on. Don’t.
The trick with screw ups is to wallow in the darkness of pity only as long as it takes lessons to come to light.
The trick with screw ups is to wallow in the darkness of pity only as long as it takes lessons to come to light.
Whether you follow Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s five-steps of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance), or flip Tarot cards – there’s always a lesson to be learned.
The question I ask myself (in the wallowing phase) is “If I was giving myself advice right now, what would it be?”
For example, when I asked that question about sales targets I realized my habit of overcommitting was costing me and my team. I need to scale back and be okay with consistent, smaller growth. That way I can meet my targets and build on my success.
We usually know the answer, it just has to be pulled out of the wash and hung up to air.
Learning from relationships
Someone more clever than me, once said: “Blame is the poison pill we take ourself with the hope the other person dies.”
“Blame is the poison pill we take ourself with the hope the other person dies.”
It’s always easier to blame.
It takes the burden of ownership off us, and slaps it on the other person. At the same time, the burden of resentment, guilt, and anger all slip into a sack we proudly carry on our back.
It doesn’t have to be that way. The trick is to seek lessons, make amends, and move on.
It’s predictable people will disappoint you. Get over it.
Occasionally, the A/V for my speech is not ideal – like recently for a morning presentation to 70 care workers in Ontario. Hand-held microphone, no flip chart, home-movie size screen, and classroom-style row seating. On top of that, and just as I was about to kick off the three-hour long program, I was approached by two delegates, both with hearing problems. Once had me wear a pendant/microphone to amplify my voice, while the other asked me to try to not move around the room (which is exactly my style for this type of workshop), so she could read my lips. But, despite all that…
I had a great morning!
It was all about looking for the lesson.
Sure, I love a modern conference hall with a professional audio-visual crew waiting on me, good lighting, and the perfect set-up on stage. But, crammed into a too-small meeting room, wearing a hearing pendant, while someone else reads my lips teaches me patience. And when I practice patience, the best of me comes out. Like that morning with those 70 beautiful people who all put their heart and soul into their work. I was there to serve, not fuss about where I had to stand.
Think about a relationship you’re struggling with. Do blame and resentment get you what you want? It could be a powerful lesson about humility, forgiveness, patience, or letting go is waiting quietly behind a door. This year is the time to reach out, open that door, haul that lesson out, and try it on.
Thank you!
Thank you for being here and reading this today. Blogging can be a weird, some what narcissistic, monologue, often without much feedback. Your support and interest in this winding journey means everything to me. Thank you for being here, and please give me feedback in the comments, below. Those words of encouragement, questions, or just sharing your opinions are really helpful.
All the best for the New Year,
