“Do something this year your future self will thank you for.”
Welcome to 2017. It is the start of a new year. And if you are anything like me you want to attack it like a wild dog. There is so much you want to achieve this year. More money. More success. More fulfillment. More fun.
But if you are anything like me, you suffered from shiny object syndrome in 2016. You were distracted by too many ideas. And as a result, you were overwhelmed, disorganized, and left a lot of unfinished business in 2016.
So what can you do differently this year? How can you get clear on your priorities? How can you identify the goals you should focus on?
By asking yourself one important question:
A year from now what will you be proud of accomplishing?
To help you answer this question, imagine it is a year from today and you are writing a letter to your present day self, talking about everything you are proud of accomplishing in 2017.
I've done this writing exercise several times and it always helps me clarify what I want to accomplish.
For example, this year my letter looks like this:
"From: Future Mo
To: Present Day Mo
Dear Mo,
Today is January 3, 2018, and I'm so proud of what you accomplished in 2017! You grew your coaching business to $X dollars, you wrote 24 articles, you created an online course to teach people how to create more fulfilling careers, you worked with X number of 1 on 1 clients, and you spoke at 4 events in Boston.
More importantly, I'm proud of the man you have become. You got shit done this year. You didn't let circumstances or excuses hold you back. You kept your promises to yourself. You honored your word. You proved you could be someone that people can count on. And as a result, you got everything you wanted and so much more. Congrats to you buddy. You did it and I'm so glad you did!
Peace and love,
Your future self"
It is amazing what an honest conversation with yourself can do for your clarity and confidence. Rather than just writing down a list of things I want to accomplish, I find that this question coupled with this letter writing exercise really brings more depth and realness to my goal setting routine.
Now it is your turn. A year from now what will you be proud of accomplishing? Will it be asking for that raise? Getting a new job? Changing careers? Getting a degree? Starting your own business? A year will come and go. The time will pass. Don't waste it wishing your career was better. Do something this year your future self will thank you for!
If you have any thoughts or questions feel free to comment below.
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