15 Practices for An Extraordinary 2019 — PART II

Last week we left off at the first six practices for having an epic year in 2019. Let’s keep it going with our next four practices (with five left for next week)!

15 Practices for An Extraordinary 2019 — PART II​

7. FIGHT for Your Dreams — This is a really interesting one for me. Yes, I used the word FIGHT. I’ve used this term in the past and have received pushback, resistance, discomfort with the concept of fighting. I think for some reason we’ve gotten to a point where some people expect that just by wishing hard enough your dreams will come true. Maybe that’s been the case for some people, but I sure as hell know that I’ve had to fight to get to where I am.

I know that given where I come from I HAD to fight. Not fighting meant accepting poverty, low standards, statistics, all against me. Not fighting with all my might just wasn’t an option, and it still isn’t. Not fighting isn’t an option when you have big dreams to go after, when you’re changing the way your family, heck the entire community where you come from, lives. I feel a sense of urgency behind achieving my goals because for me so much is on the line. Not fighting is just not an option.

What about you? Who are you fighting for? Do you have a sense of urgency? Is your why setting a strong example for your kids? Is it being able to take care of your parents in old age? Is it once and for all living a life that feels true to YOU? What’s your most compelling WHY? Because if your why is strong enough, when hard times come, and they will, you won’t hang your head low and take it…NO, you will fight. So find a why big enough to keep you going, and when needed fighting, until you make it.

I’ll be right there by your side each step of the way. I’ll be cheering you on, believing in you sometimes when you don’t even believe in you, knowing that you still have more fight in you. Knowing that you will make it. Knowing that your life can be amazing. Knowing that it’s meant to be amazing.

8. Be Disciplined and Work HARD — Along with fighting for your why, you will need to be disciplined and work hard. I’m not the coach that tells you to take it easy and coast. For most of the people I work with, there’s too much on the line to spend hours watching Netflix. They are making a better world for their families and their employees. They have meaningful dreams and aspirations that promise to make this world a better place. This stuff matters, it’s important, it’s urgent.

To reach your goals you are going to have to be strategic, you are going to have to backwards plan, you are going to need an annual plan, bi-monthly sprints and assessments, weekly goals, and daily goals to stay on track to make sure you get to your goal. To make sure that you are grinding on your dreams every day.

Hope is not a strategy. I know, this is another one people don’t like to hear. Hope is a nice place to rest, to take a breather, to feel better, but the emotion of hoping does not move mountains. Hope does not feed your family when you’re struggling to make ends meet. Action, courageous and imperfect action is what moves us forward despite whatever circumstances we might find ourselves in. You’ve got to take action. You’ve got to do your homework, put in the time, be strategic, plan, get your hands dirty, invest, be courageous, sweat, show up, and keep showing up, and keep showing up, and keep showing up.

I remember being a gymnast. I started when I was three years old, and since then until I started college I had strict, badass, tough coaches expecting me to show up, to do one more mile, to do 50 more pushups, to do that beam routine 100 more times if necessary. Then, I became an adult. These expectations to push the limit, to see all that you’re made of were gone. I don’t know about you, but I get a thrill out of exploring what I can achieve that seems impossible to most. Whether it was getting published when I was in law school, or running 50 miles, there is nothing like the feeling of setting a goal that scares the heck out of you, and then doing the work to become the person that was able to do that thing.

So my question to you is: when was the last time you pushed? When you were so excited about a big scary goal that made your stomach turn, your hands sweat, your knees shake, that made you think “Oh, [choose your own expletive here]”, but that also made you feel equal parts excited. Where you were in it for the journey, for the person you would become along the way. If it’s been a while, my invitation and challenge to you is: isn’t now the perfect time to GO BIG again? What are you waiting for?

9. Morning Routine! — Alright, we’re getting more and more strategic. This one is a MUST. You have to have a morning routine. Sorry, there is no way around this one if you want to be successful and reach your goals/dreams. The way you start your day sets you up for how you show up to the rest of your day, and really the rest of your life. So, every day start your day with intentionality.

Lucky for you, you can find a 10-minute video on setting a powerful routine here, and for my overachievers, I have an extended 25-minute training here.

So tell me, what do you do during your morning routine? How about your evening routine? Tell me using the hashtag #StepIntoYourPower2019!

10. Take Charge of Your Growth — In 2019 you have to decide to be in charge of your own personal and professional development. It’s shocking to me the number of people that after graduating from school don’t pick up a book for personal or professional development again.

Newsflash, your education did not end when school ended! Your education is a life-long journey, a beautiful and joyous one too. Now, you get to read whatever interests you. And to learn you don’t just have to read from an outdated and boring textbook … you can watch youtube videos, listen to audiobooks, read books, attend workshops and trainings, and take online courses to name just a few options.
 
In this day and age, with the amount of free amazing information that is out there, ignorance is a choice. You can basically learn just about anything you can imagine for pretty much free. It’s amazing. I mean, we should wake up every day jumping up and down, absolutely excited and amazed at the incredible wealth of information that we have at our fingertips. Literally, have a question? Ask your phone. Done. This is amazing guys!!!!!

So please, please, please, please…this year decide to be fully in charge of your growth and development as a person and as a professional. Geek out on the things that excite you, learn, grow, and have growth goals of the knowledge you’d like to have at the end of the year. I know that this alone could completely change your life.

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For part II we got more tactical and strategic. In today’s newsletter I asked you to fight for your dreams, to be disciplined and work hard, to establish a morning routine, and to be in the driver’s seat of your own learning.

Next week, we’ll cover going outside your comfort zone, doing more of what makes you happy, prioritizing self-love and self-care, saying yes to love, and having faith and trusting yourself above all else. Stay tuned and make sure to invite your friends to also subscribe!