Lessons Worth Sharing Part 2

On New Year’s Day, I attended Growth Day, hosted by my coach and mentor, Brendon Burchard.  Last week, I shared some of my key takeaways from the session, and today, I have more to share from two of the guest speakers.

Dave Hollis provided some incredible insights, based on his hardest year ever and his gratitude for all the growth he experienced as a result.  Here’s what I took away from his comments.

In the process of embracing a fresh start, we need to give up the "what ifs" and "if only's." 

A simple three-step process for embracing a fresh start:

1. a radically honest assessment of where you are,
2. a very clear, detailed vision of where you want to go and
3. tactical details that help you get from A to B.

It’s important to believe in the possibilities even though our imagination might feel compromised by all we went through in the past year.

In the rush to return to normal, be sure to determine which aspects of "normal" are worth going back to - WOW.  Sometimes, we wear rose-colored glasses about what we left behind. Sometimes, we really beat ourselves up for what we did or didn’t do. 

Take long term planning and bring it closer; use a shorter horizon, like six months.

Assess the various areas of your life:  physical, mental, emotional, relational and spiritual. Identify three things in each area that you need in order to feel healthy in that area.

How to move forward with momentum:

1. identify what will inhibit forward movement.
2. focus on the things that matter by deliberately distinguishing what is vitally important; recognize which of the balls you have in the air are glass vs. rubber.
3. stay connected to your core values. Ask yourself:  how do you feel about yourself when you are by yourself?  How are you showing up every day?

Instead of thinking about the whole year, just think about the next seven days.  Or the next month.  Think about how you can act from your best self.

Build your comfort zone within. 

Recognize that everyone is struggling, and it is a reflection of your humanity to make a connection and shed some light.

Mel Robbins also provided many useful insights. 

I especially love her 2020 mantra for moments of challenge or whenever the stakes are high:  This moment is giving me a skill, a person, an experience or a lesson for the thing coming that I cannot see right now; something I need. 

This is a powerful perspective to add to your thinking when facing obstacles or challenges of any kind.

Your dreams act as a beacon to pull you toward something bigger than you.  They call you, if you don't pursue them, they haunt you.  You are meant to bump into something.

Recalibrating 2020:  the way we look back is the way we look forward.

Life is not by chance, but by choice.

It doesn't matter how big your problems are, your potential and your capacity are unlimited.

How to think about the day.  Go back to basics.  Slow down.  Take care of your health.  Set your day up with Simple Discipline.  (vs. motivation comes and goes; it's not always there when you need it). 

Mel spoke of her strength as being in responding vs. in planning (OMG, me too!!!)

So, we need to BUILD SIMPLE DISCIPLINE -- need to customize it to your uniqueness.  For example, don't sleep with the phone, maniacal about AM routine, wakes to art, incense, movement, taste & pick the one thing that matters that day.

High five myself every time I walk by a mirror. 

Keep small simple promises to yourself.  (This is a big one that many people miss).

Confidence in the unknown.  It's not belief in self, but willingness to try.  In trying, you build the strength to keep trying.  Start with doing not thinking.  5-4-3-2-1 Try. Learn.  Try.  Become confident through doing.

Remove resistance. Brain research about nerves - doing something for the first time, performance anxiety - body goes into fight or flight - you pay attention - mind is hyper focused -- blood left your digestive system to help = butterflies.  Reframe performance anxiety as excitement.  The physiological experience is exactly the same.

We are at a moment of inflection.  Remember when phones first had cameras and we thought - why do I need a phone on my camera?  From 2020 experience, people want more from life, they want to stop taking things (and people) for granted, they want to be deliberate about how they spend their time, they want to slow down, they are looking for new opportunities.  We need this energy and we need to do it together as a community.

I feel like these insights are pretty profound from a year that was challenging at best.  What do you think?  I love hearing from you – your questions, your comments, your insights.  Keep them coming.