5 Ways to Kick Off 2017 on the Right Foot

A year from now you may wish you had started today. ~ Karen Lamb

At a very young age, I was taught a simple philosophy … early in the day, early in the week, early in the month, early in the year.

That philosophy became even more cemented when I read a book by one of my favorite human potential gurus, Brian Tracy … Eat That Frog.

The theme to both is very simple; start early … even if the task is something you don’t necessarily want to do.

Since we are only guaranteed this moment, we need to do everything we can now in case we need to take a detour later.

Even if some of those tasks which propel you forward might prove to be unpleasant; do them now and get them out of the way.

When I practice this — my days, weeks, months, and years seem to proceed at a much calmer, peaceful, and steady pace.

I have decided to start this new year remembering the following:

  1. KISS – Keep It Super Simple: To be honest, this one plagues me and I must fight to keep it foremost in my mind.  Sometimes I have a habit of complicating things so much I either overwhelm myself, or I don’t ever start.  This year I will endeavor to:
    1. Practice my imperfection; in other words, I will stop trying to devise a perfect plan in order to get something done. Instead, I will select a particular goal and take small action steps towards completion.
    2. Practice the art of organizing my day focusing on what matters most and do that task early.
    3. Endeavor to concentrate on one thing at a time which will help me produce better results.
  1. Breathe: Since this was my 2016 Word of the Year, I have a lot of experience already.  Whittling down my experience with the word Breathe to one elegant idea would have to be — it helped me cut down most of life’s distractions.  By simply taking a moment to step back and breathe gave me tremendous space to make sensible decisions.  My continuing education will include:
    1. Taking a moment every morning when distractions are at their lowest to reflect on the previous day and then plan for the upcoming one.
    2. Continue to practice taking a step back when things are starting to overwhelm me; breathe; assess; and then move forward.
    3. Allow myself time each day to meditate and give thanks.
  1. Unclutter: My personal space should be a sanctuary from my chaotic life.  It should also offer me peace of mind.  I have chosen a supplementary career in which peace is paramount to its success, and it will be challenging to acquire that peace if it doesn’t start with me.  Peace by piece, I will endeavor to unclutter my space, both personal and business, including all electronics.
  1. Practice Opposites: On an episode of Seinfeld, George Constanza decided to take a different approach when asking a girl for a date.  He was determined to do the opposite of what he had always done. He went against every instinct he had and in the end, this woman couldn’t throw her number at him fast enough.  It was funny, but it worked.  Sometimes that is all it takes … after all, isn’t the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results?  I will choose to do the opposite in some common situations compared to what I did in 2016 in order to achieve a different result. If we change the formula the outcome will also be changed.
  1. Self-Love: As I strive towards my goals this year, I will stay conscious about certain needs:
    1. Remembering that I need time to decompress. Reading a book near the beach is my favorite way.
    2. Taking moments to just zone out.
    3. Recognizing the good/great that I accomplish during the day.
    4. Exploring spirituality.

I fully expect if I keep these things in mind during this first part of 2017, a firm foundation will be created for the rest of the year.

How about you?  Do you have any steps you care to share for kicking off 2017 on the right foot?

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