My 2017 started out with energy, momentum and big goals.
Then it not only fell flat, but went way left.
Back in January, I had no clue that I was months away from losing my mother. It was an unexpected emotional takeover that left me so blindsided that I took to my bed for a couple of months to grieve. I’m glad I did. It’s would’ve been hard to use work and other things to distract from a loss that significant.
That still means that while the year started with earnest intentions of doing great things and achieving big goals, many of my plans fizzled out or got hijacked by disappointments, setbacks, or not being motivated.
Did that happen to you, too?
Well, the good news for us both is that we can recommit to epic living and doing things differently in 2018.
Here are my six tips for turning things around and living an epic life in 2018. (Or, if your 2017 was fantastic, these tips are perfect to help you keep moving forward.)
1. Audit your life
I like to end every year with a life audit. A life audit is simply an examination of your life or an honest look at where you are investing your time, money and energy, so you know what changes to make. Because, if you want a better 2018, you need to know what worked and what didn’t in 2017.
To audit your life, start with gauging how satisfied you are in the following areas:
career/job
relationships (family, friends, romantic)
finances
education/personal development
Rate each on a scale between 1 and 5, with 5 meaning “very satisfied” and 1 meaning “not satisfied.”
Then take a look at any items where you have three or less and decide what deserves your immediate attention. Ask yourself, where are you investing too much time, energy and money, and where you are not investing enough. Start there and set goals that will help you achieve a 5 in one or two categories.
2. Commit to leading your life
You’re the CEO of your life. You are 100% responsible for your actions, non-actions, and choices. It doesn’t matter if no one taught you what to do or how to be an adult. It doesn’t matter what your childhood or past experiences were like. You are still responsible.
So, in 2018, commit to letting go of the excuses and leading your life. Choose a goal and actively work to make it happen. Don’t wait on “blessings” or “luck”, make them happen.
That means, don’t wait for someone to give you a raise, ask for one. If you’re told “no”, find out what you need to improve to earn one. If you’ve exhausted the opportunities in your current position, make a list of other places where your skills would be valued and get busy making contacts.
Your life should be taken seriously. Don’t leave your happiness, peace, or growth in someone else’s hand. You’re no victim. Whatever you find yourself complaining about the most, fix it, get a plan and implement. Take back control of your life!
3. Stop adding weight
So often people overthink and overanalyze. We “people please” and cause ourselves a whole lot of unnecessary stress and anxiety. This can lead to overwhelm - the kind of overwhelm that eventually wears us down.
In a nutshell, when we do this, we’re giving weight and value to people and things that don’t deserve it. (Which also means that we’re taking time and energy from the areas of our lives that DO deserve it.)
For a better 2018, stop adding so much weight to the load you’re carrying. Set boundaries, let go of the stuff that weighs you down and practice saying “no” more often. Remember, you can’t take care of the people you love if you aren’t also caring for yourself, too.
4. Strengthen your four Cs
As I share in this post, in looking back over my life, I can see very clearly that the keys to achieving my own epic life were four things: clarity, confidence, courage, and effective communication skills. These now make up my 4C Formula for epic living. Strengthen these, and you will experience transformation and epic living now and in 2018.
5. Tell the truth
Many folks resist “what is” or lie on the truth. What do I mean by “lie on the truth”? Here’s an example: it’s clear that you are being mentally, physically or emotionally abused at work, in friendships or relationships, but yet you tell yourself “it’s not that bad” or “it doesn’t happen that often” or worst, you putting up a facade that the truth isn’t really happening.
Self-deception is the opposite of integrity, being authentic and living an epic life. The truth shall set you free but it will sting at first. Tell the truth and break free.
6. Get one or two W.I.G.S.
W.I.G.S. are wildly important goals. These are big things you’ll strive for that will propel your life in the direction that you want. Pick one or two WIGs for 2018 that are wild and big enough to make a huge difference in your life in some way.
With a WIG, you attribute a certain amount of time, resources and energy to it. For example, if your WIG is to write a book, you break down the tasks with timeframes i.e. decide book topic, research what’s already done on topic, get clarity on intended audience, develop outline and writing schedule, secure editor, uncover advantages to self publish vs. secure book deal, marketing/promotion strategy, etc.
Remember, people who write their goals down are more likely to accomplish them than those who don’t.
Get Support (Bonus Tip)
With this said, I can’t stress enough the importance of a network or someone to help you get to the next level. No one should or can go at life alone. Need a consult? Click here.
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Photo via Pixabay