3 Fierce Steps to Kick Off 2015
“We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise, we harden.” – Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
You harden if you are not stretching. While most of us think about stretching as a physical activity, we must also stretch our brains, our hearts, and our perspectives. Only when we do this, can we fully shift. It’s about going to your core – figuratively.
So I ask: How do you plan to stretch yourself in 2015? Here are three simple steps to help kick off your new year.
1. Embody gratitude.
It is easy to get carried away about how things should be different in the coming year, as opposed to what went well. So sit back for a moment. What do you have to be grateful for? What are you most proud of in 2014? At Fierce, we talk about how your beliefs determine your actions. Ultimately, they are driving your show. Given that, it is critical for you to recognize what your beliefs are and how they show up. Gratitude is a powerful way to focus your energy and beliefs in a positive direction.
Tip: Write down what you are grateful for right now. Reflect on how that will propel you in 2015. Keep a journal by your bed or use your phone to document your thoughts.
2. Choose your one thing.
As Susan Scott, Founder of Fierce, Inc., states: Choose your one thing. “Let’s say that in the new year you want to win a promotion, find love, be a better person, complete a significant project, get healthy. Of course, if you don’t know what you want, this is a non-starter, so you’ll need to have a fierce conversation with yourself and may have to trick yourself with the question – If I DID know the one thing I most want to accomplish, what would it be? Not what you think you should want, what you really want.” So yes, you need to commit to one thing.
Tip: Choose your one thing. Be specific. Then ask yourself: What will distract you from it? Write those things and be prepared to overcome them. Brainstorm your techniques.
3. Commit to the conversations.
As you step into the new year, there are many people who will be integral to your success and achievements. There is no getting around it. You will need to have conversations. Don’t stall having the ones that are most critical. Fierce is about tackling your toughest challenge today. Today is the critical word – it is not tomorrow or when the timing feels right. Don’t wait until the music is just right, or you feel the person is most ready. Commit to having the conversation.
Tip: Write the top three conversations with the people you need to have in January to move your goal forward. Be specific. Schedule them.
There it is. Three small steps that you can take to kick off your new year. So, what are you grateful for? What’s your one thing? What conversations do you need to have? I want to hear about it.
And as we move into 2015, I raise a glass and say: Cheers to being Fierce!