Somehow, we’ve made it to the middle of January already. Yep, let me be the first to say, “Where is the year going?”
How are those resolutions coming along? Still hitting the gym? Are you keeping your promise to use fewer exclamation points?
It’s funny how it takes a date on the calendar to motivate us to do what we probably should have been doing all along (yes, that means you, excessive exclamation point user).
Hiten Shah isn’t a big fan of resolutions. And neither am I. Rather than resolving to add or remove something from your life like exercise or soda, start resolving to change your perspective, change your approach, and shift your focus.
Shah, in his most recent newsletter, had this to say about resolutions:
“…If you’re actually practicing being a conscious and growth-focused entrepreneur, you shouldn’t be waiting for some socially acceptable milestone to inspire yourself to become better than you are. You have to be continually igniting that flame from within, regardless of what the calendar date is…”
And how do you do that? By doing what scares you the most.
Maybe that means it’s finally time to take the leap toward starting your own business. Maybe it’s time to close the doors and start something new. Maybe that means moving to a place. Maybe it simply means finding time to discover yourself, who you are, and more importantly, who you want to be.
That may mean saying no a lot more often, to make room for saying yes when you should.
When we think about taking risks, being bold, and leaving our comfort zone, we tend to focus on the wrong things. We get stuck thinking about the obstacles and challenges that stand in the way of our goals. We obsess over the financial burden, the personal sacrifice, the long hours, and the tough times ahead.
But when you focus on the negative, the negative becomes you. Rather than being consumed by the negative, start focusing on the opportunity. Shah says:
“…Don’t think about why this or that won’t work. Just sit down and figure out how it will because you’re finally 100% committed to making it happen. It’s hard and it might hurt. But it’s a challenge in locating the silver-lining…”
Focusing on how you WILL make things happen, versus being stuck on those reasons that you WON’T is key. It takes effort. It takes flexing some mental muscles. It’s hard. Damn hard. But allows you to tap into your absolute best self.
Be bold. Starting today. Starting right now. Now is as good of time as any.
When you scare yourself a little, you’ll surprise yourself a lot.