What you focus on is what you get.
Get what you want by having one singular focus for 2019 — no NYE tick-list (seriously, who has ever successfully nailed out that list?) and no complicated spreadsheets. We’re talking a single, laser-focus that would be a game changer for your life.
What’s your game changer?
What is the one thing that would turn your life on its axis and propel you closer to your version of an extraordinary life? The one thing.
For me, it’s time.
Time to be lost in gravity-challenging Lego building and long snuggly hugs surrounded by Barbie and her ridiculously genetically blessed posse. Time to read, meditate, and chat on WhatsApp with girlfriends. Time to sit next to the water and feel the sun on my face. Time to plan more hikes with my hubby where we can talk and connect and revel in our parenting awesomeness (or not, depending on the day). Time to be me, time to rejuvenate, to reflect and plot on how to continue showing up as my best self. A game changer for my version of an extraordinarily connected life.
A powerful ‘why’
Before we leap into action, we need to test if the ‘why’ behind our game changer is indeed pretty darn compelling. If our ‘why’ isn’t deeply compelling, trust me, it isn’t going to be powerful enough to get you through that fearsome place called the unknown.
Questions to explore the power of your why:
- Fast forward 12 months since you started taking massive action to realise your game changer, what has altered, appeared, disappeared in your life?
- If the game changer didn’t happen how will you feel about your life this time next year? What have you missed out on? What have you gained?
- What would you be willing to compromise to make the game changer possible?
- On a scale of 1- 10, with ten being: off the chart must make happen, and one being: I couldn’t be more disinterested, how do you rate your desire for the game changer to happen?
If your ‘why’ doesn’t feel compelling enough it might be time to revisit your game changer and revise it to shape a more powerful ‘why’ or explore other game-changing options that you have a much higher commitment to making happen.
Massive action or bust
You know you are invested, your why is rock solid. It’s time to make this happen.
It’s time to take massive laser-focused action, and this is where shi*t gets real. Like most of us, you are probably pretty adept at identifying something you’d want to change but are you ready to take the massive action needed to make it happen? Not everyday action. We’re talking heart pumping, sweaty palms, out of your comfort zone massive action.
You know that Henry Ford quote: “If you always do what you’ve always done, you will always get what you’ve always got.”
Time to do things differently:
- What do you need to keep, stop and start doing to make your game changer possible today? (We’re just warming up here!)
- What is a kick-ass, scary but doable step you could take to make your game changer very real? Now, give me four more.
- If you knew you couldn’t fail, what is the most critical action you must do to hit a home run with your game changer?
And to make sure all these excellent ideas transform to action:
- What are your committing to doing? By when?
- How will you know when you have been successful?
- What are the hurdles for each commitment and how will you combat them?
- How could you visually remind yourself of your focus, plan and commitment?
- What will you do to celebrate your success?
For me, massive action towards my time game changer looks like starting my day at 4.45am (gulp!). It’s also saying ‘no’ to lucrative but misaligned opportunities (this definitely brings on the sweaty-palms), redesigning my working week (and fear inconveniencing clients – urgh!), and being the queen of no which gives me more time to say ‘yes’ to the people and activities I want more time for. I’m a people-pleaser from way-back, and all of these actions come with a fair amount of discomfort, and that is a strong signal that I’m definitely onto something good!
Ownership and Woohoo
You’ve got your eye on the prize, you’re committed and have your list of massive action items to make your game changer a reality. Make sure to have some milestones marked out along the way as a check-point. Remember, your ideas will evolve the more you become immersed and the more evidence you gather about your capabilities (yes, you are so much for capable then you know). Be prepared to make changes to stay engaged and possibly even turn the volume up on your definition of massive action!
Finally, celebrate your wins! The small ones, the big ones, the personal and public ones. Going after what you truly want isn’t for the faint-hearted, but the payoff is life changing.
Here’s to a powerful, rich and rewarding 2019!
