2017… So Now What?
January 4th, 2017 // 1:17 pm @ Scott Manning
I’ll tell you what. For me, it began bright and early on January 1st. Sort of a little ritual of mine. Every year, for as many as I can remember, I start ‘working’ on January 1st and strive to do something very aggressive, dramatic or of some substantial value that I know will result in a big victory for our mission and of course the person I’m fortunate to be in the presence of for the start to the new year.
This year, I visited with an amazing Doctor and his wife. He is truly an entrepreneur at heart and loves dentistry but goes so far beyond just the idea of clinical patient care to serving his colleagues in a big way.
It was a wonderful meeting, so productive and powerful for him and I know we will have a long and prosperous relationship together. Of course, it was a little test to my own gut intuition to make the invitation and myself available for this Holiday meeting; and I was right on the money because his commitment to his own success took precedence over some number of a day on a calendar.
Things always work out the way they are supposed to when you do things that you are supposed to do. Success is not rocket science or some big mystery. That is the secret, that there is no such secret at all. It isn’t any of those elusive things, it’s very common sense and practical.
Just like professional athletes win games not with trick shots or plays or luck but with mastery and consistent execution over the basic and the advanced skills that everyone else knows they should be doing – but they don’t.
Why? Because they are, like losers do, mindlessly and pathetically searching for something, someone, some whatever to be their magic pill or silver bullet or easy button that removes responsibility from them and gives them as many excuses as possible so everything else can be blamed but themselves.
This year – commit to not being like that.
This year – commit to being the champion that you are.
This year – commit to doing the things you know lead to success and make all the difference through daily execution.
My execution began on January 1st – the first available and possible minute that I was granted for the new year.
Oh, I don’t fault you for your extra day of vacation, I mean it is a federal holiday after all, but that’s for people who live for the holidays, a few days a year. Instead of those who live to make incredible things happen all the rest of the days.
Besides, surely the end of the year gave you enough down time to get started with the new year on day 1.
It’s passed now and what’s left are 362 days for you to have, like a present opened every day you wake up and let your feet hit the floor.
What I hope most for you in 2017 is that you take control over the calendar and use it for the tool that it is, for the structure that it provides. Don’t be a victim or at the mercy of it, instead be in charge. Use it for deadlines, for tracking, for besting yourself again and again and winning the game you are playing.
As the days tick off one by one an easy habit to get into is at the end of each of them to sit down for a few minutes (and that is all it will take), to write down the biggest victories for the day, then write down the biggest opportunities that have come as a result of this one day and finally make a list of your most important priorities as you look ahead to tomorrow and beyond.
If you do this, you will truly master the gift of the calendar letting each day be accountable to itself by using it for its intended purpose to facilitate your progress, focus your mind and hold your actions to the test of purposefulness.
I’m excited to see what your new year brings. Whatever it does, I know this, the credit goes to you, because the person who lives, manages, acts and plans with discipline is the one who will win for themselves and those around them. You will have more to celebrate and more to show at the end of each day and therefore the end of this year in preparation for the next one.
Go forth and stick to your agenda… and make sure it is so motivating and inspiring to you it compels you to follow-through day by day all the way to the end.
Go ahead, make it a happy, fun and prosperous new year!
Category : Blog
