Are you still thinking about what you are going to do in 2023? I poke you and say, you have been thinking for 31 days now, and what have you come up with? I hear you. The excuses can fill a dump truck, but how are your excuses and remaining the mindset of “it’s someone else’s fault” I am in this predicament? You know what this is called, don’t you? Victim mindset! Do you want to be a victim the entire year of 2023, or do you want to be crossing the finish line in December 2023 the winner?
Want to learn how to do this and break the red finish line tape a winner? What are you willing to give up crossing that finish line?
There is a pathway to the finish line. Your ability to think every day about that finish line and the daily habits you incorporate and repeat 333 days will determine your success! Your thinking impacts your capacity, and it defines who you are. Did you know the most complex person to lead, is Y-O-U! We see the flaws and imperfections in others before we see them in ourselves.
The quality of your thinking will determine the quality of your results.
What is at the finish line for you? Take some time [5 minutes – not another month], and determine what vision and goal you want to reach. Big or small, it matters not. You need something to reach for.
- Kick the thought to the curb that I am not smart enough, I don’t have enough money, and I don’t know the right people, I am in the wrong place, I am too old, I am too young….and on and on…These are “Self-Limiting” thoughts and will keep you stuck for another 365 days.
- Start trying even if you don’t know something. It is the experience of trying and failing that moves you ahead. Okay, so that didn’t work, so what? You simply try again and again and again until you do find the way through. Experience is the greatest teacher.
- Find yourself a mentor who is about 5 years down the road in front of you and can give you the benefit of their own tries and failures. There is wisdom in the insight of others.
- Define what exactly winning is for you. Go into great detail. For instance: When I cross the finish line, I will _____________ in my business. I will___________ in my personal life. I will ___________in my finances. I will _____________in my relationships and so on. Map out how you want to feel, to be, to experience, and so on.
- You must believe in all the possibilities and opportunities out there available to you and put duct tape over the mouths of the neigh sayers in your life. If those around you are not in your inner circle of cheerleaders, they do not have any buy-in in your dream or vision. Hint, these people will always be there. You must learn to be deft to their yammering head talk.
- When you do fall flat on your face, instead of throwing in the towel, ask yourself: “What did I learn from this experience?” You will be surprised at how empowering this question is. Every failure is another opportunity to do it differently and see a new path forward.
- Remove all distractions from your workspace, and your field of vision, and have a clean workspace in front of you. If you block off time to do this, you will move forward at a much faster pace than others. Why? The laptop is an exit to distraction and will pull you away from your focus of the finish line. Your phone, too, is one of those screaming babies alerting you to all sorts of nonsense which are not part of your focus nor will get you to the finish line. Have only what you actually need to work on.
- One step at a time, done well and completed to the end, is better than multitasking on 10 things and accomplishing nothing. This will create massive dissatisfaction, and frustration, and you will throw up your hands and say, “I just can’t do it!” Remember, as you think, so you will be!
- Evaluate everything you do at the end of the day. Face the reality of the decisions, plans, and outcomes you are experiencing. Conquer all the “what ifs” swirling around in your head with facts. Facts are freeing, and they help you to change course when you need to.
- Before your vision, your dream, and what is waiting for you at the finish line, must be clearly defined. Nothing is really all that hard if you break it down into small steps.
I love this quote by Olan Hendrix: “Strategic thinking is like showering. You have to keep doing it.”
My personal mentor Dr. John C. Maxwell, says that we each need a place to “think.” I have been in John’s home office, and he has a “Thinking Chair” there, and I have sat in that very chair. Once, John asked me: “Janice, are you getting anything?” I told him, “NO” – He then laughed and said, “Get out of my thinking chair; it only works for me!” So true! Where do you go to think? Maybe it is in a chair in your home, on a bench under a tree in the park, or walking along a beautiful lake someplace near your home. No matter where you go to think, learn to write down your thoughts. Good thinking translates into writing. Using a laptop or phone to take thinking notes is inviting distraction and exit ramps from your pursuit of the finish line.
My name is Janice Bastani. My business is Janice Bastani Coaching. In 2023 I am accepting new clients, and I have limited availability. If you are interested in becoming a client in 2023, please email me at: janice@janicebastanicoaching.com.