"Ambition is enthusiasm with a purpose."
-Frank Tyger
#NewYearNewViewNewYOU
One of my mentors, heroes and all around favorite dudes inspired the title of this blog post. Speaker Kevin Bracy posted an amazing little series of videos about how most people relate to the calendar turn of year as new hope, new promise and a new me/you! He cautions us, that the reason most people fail in their resolve to do something is they fail to adopt a new outlook. I realized that the reason I have been really successful the past half decade in what I call my "New Year's Promises" is a game of 3 questions that helps shift my outlook. I missed this conversational empowerment exercise this year for the first time in as long as I can remember. I didn't go for a NYE night hike, and I didn't join the crack-of-dawn Rose Parade run. And I didn't facilitate the post hike/run 3 questions game for so many of my closest friends, family and fellow runners. This lead to NYE/NYD being the worst in recent memory. But it's January 4th now, so let's forget January 1st, 2014 and look forward...
I am going to roll my 3 questions game out to anyone who reads this. My invitation to you is this:
IF you read this, I invite you to take one step further and comment (or share/repost on your social media of preference: blog, Facebook status, etc.) all 3 complete questions with your specific personal/professional answers.
I have been practicing this exercise since at least 2009 and it's been super effective for ALL I have heard. Ask David Villalobos how effective it was for him in the 2012-2013 transition (that's just the one I remember most from last year).
Here's the dealio - to complete the conversation (in your mind) about 2013, answer 2 questions:
1. What is one thing (only one) that you accomplished in 2013 that you're most proud of?
2. What is one thing (only one) that you failed at in 2013, most powerfully, what was your biggest failure?
And then the tricky question that opens 2014 with hope & promise:
3. What is one thing that you'd like to accomplish in 2014, that if you achieved this single thing, no matter what else happens this year, it would be impossible to declare the year a failure? More often than not, this question stands independent of #2, but sometimes people link them as a reaffirmation of something they really want to get done.
MY ANSWERS:
1. I am proud of who I was in the space of traumatic situations in 2013. Some of the trauma was self-induced (running 2x100-milers with 13 days recovery), but a lot of it was really unexpected (Kate miscarried a child in January, experienced a major family upheaval in July, and then Kate broke her leg in November), and in each case, I had my own fear and internal freak outs to deal with, and yet I was able to be the person I wanted to be (for myself, and for my wife) in those moments.
2. I failed in 2013 to be the writer/author I committed to being. I set out in January with the goal of blogging 2 times per month (24 posts) and ended the year 8 short of that number. I failed to blog at all in April, July, August and November. In my book, I set out to write a chapter a week back in October. I'm less than halfway to my goal of 11 chapters in the book (over that time frame). Both of those are dramatic failures (based on what I'm up to right now).
3. In 2014, if I only accomplish one thing (that is in my power, as one of my goals is largely up to the universe to decide), the thing that would have me look back on the year as a success (no matter what else happens) is publishing my first book. It's highly unlikely we're going to hit my February deadline, so my commitment is to an April/May timeline for release. Back on the chapter per week game (and I still aim to blog every other week too).
Now, what is your 3? I emphatically invite you to not skip this step and be bold in your 3 answers! You want me (and other readers of this post) thinking about your #3 (and you need #1 and #2 to set the table), because no matter what it is, I believe in you.
"You get whatever accomplishment you are willing to declare."
-Georgia O'Keeffe
-Frank Tyger
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| Speaker Kevin Bracy does what he does best |
One of my mentors, heroes and all around favorite dudes inspired the title of this blog post. Speaker Kevin Bracy posted an amazing little series of videos about how most people relate to the calendar turn of year as new hope, new promise and a new me/you! He cautions us, that the reason most people fail in their resolve to do something is they fail to adopt a new outlook. I realized that the reason I have been really successful the past half decade in what I call my "New Year's Promises" is a game of 3 questions that helps shift my outlook. I missed this conversational empowerment exercise this year for the first time in as long as I can remember. I didn't go for a NYE night hike, and I didn't join the crack-of-dawn Rose Parade run. And I didn't facilitate the post hike/run 3 questions game for so many of my closest friends, family and fellow runners. This lead to NYE/NYD being the worst in recent memory. But it's January 4th now, so let's forget January 1st, 2014 and look forward...
I am going to roll my 3 questions game out to anyone who reads this. My invitation to you is this:
IF you read this, I invite you to take one step further and comment (or share/repost on your social media of preference: blog, Facebook status, etc.) all 3 complete questions with your specific personal/professional answers.
I have been practicing this exercise since at least 2009 and it's been super effective for ALL I have heard. Ask David Villalobos how effective it was for him in the 2012-2013 transition (that's just the one I remember most from last year).
Here's the dealio - to complete the conversation (in your mind) about 2013, answer 2 questions:
1. What is one thing (only one) that you accomplished in 2013 that you're most proud of?
2. What is one thing (only one) that you failed at in 2013, most powerfully, what was your biggest failure?
And then the tricky question that opens 2014 with hope & promise:
3. What is one thing that you'd like to accomplish in 2014, that if you achieved this single thing, no matter what else happens this year, it would be impossible to declare the year a failure? More often than not, this question stands independent of #2, but sometimes people link them as a reaffirmation of something they really want to get done.
 |
| SYMBOLISM: Chinese bamboo needs 5 yrs of constant attention to grow |
1. I am proud of who I was in the space of traumatic situations in 2013. Some of the trauma was self-induced (running 2x100-milers with 13 days recovery), but a lot of it was really unexpected (Kate miscarried a child in January, experienced a major family upheaval in July, and then Kate broke her leg in November), and in each case, I had my own fear and internal freak outs to deal with, and yet I was able to be the person I wanted to be (for myself, and for my wife) in those moments.
2. I failed in 2013 to be the writer/author I committed to being. I set out in January with the goal of blogging 2 times per month (24 posts) and ended the year 8 short of that number. I failed to blog at all in April, July, August and November. In my book, I set out to write a chapter a week back in October. I'm less than halfway to my goal of 11 chapters in the book (over that time frame). Both of those are dramatic failures (based on what I'm up to right now).
3. In 2014, if I only accomplish one thing (that is in my power, as one of my goals is largely up to the universe to decide), the thing that would have me look back on the year as a success (no matter what else happens) is publishing my first book. It's highly unlikely we're going to hit my February deadline, so my commitment is to an April/May timeline for release. Back on the chapter per week game (and I still aim to blog every other week too).
Now, what is your 3? I emphatically invite you to not skip this step and be bold in your 3 answers! You want me (and other readers of this post) thinking about your #3 (and you need #1 and #2 to set the table), because no matter what it is, I believe in you.
"You get whatever accomplishment you are willing to declare."
-Georgia O'Keeffe
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