Welp, we’re halfway through January and maybe you’re steadily giving the New Year some serious side eye. If 2020 has already lost some of its luster in your view, I’m here to tell you that there are some surefire ways to propel yourself up-and-out of the doldrums if change is really what you crave. The future is more uncertain than ever, but it’s ultimately up to us to take action (i.e. stop bullshitting) so we can rise to our potential and frankly, beyond.
If you have dreams of finding a new job, moving to a different city, revitalizing a relationship, fortifying your health, taking regular mid-day naps – whatever, I’m not here to judge – consider these 3 approaches to gain momentum and move towards your goals this year:
#1 Stay uncomfortable. If you want dramatically different results in life, it’s absolutely mandatory that you to move out of your comfort zone on a permanent basis. You aren’t always going to feel great about trying new things (ask me about my 2019 hike on the Path of the Gods), but it’s an important part of creating a growth mindset that can extend your reach towards amazing opportunities. Try the durian. Climb into the kayak. Go to the networking mixer. Run the 5K race. Roll your eyes, gnash your teeth and sigh heavily for the drama of it all if you must, but make discomfort your new bestie.
#2 Choose hard. I know that we often talk about ‘low hanging fruit’, the easy stuff that we can readily check off when we’re in hot pursuit of our loftiest ambitions. But our juiciest goals require us to the hard things – not necessarily the most difficult, but rather the ish that we least want to do. You know what I’m talking about… the things that we *could* do if we weren’t nervous. Or concerned with other people think. Or consumed with what success or failure might mean. Basically, think about the thing that generates the most resistance in you – the thing that you would actually pay cash money to avoid. And do that. More than once – as in multiple times for those of you counting.
#3 Be committed. As low key triggering as phrases like ‘do the work’ and ‘show up’ can be… Um. You’ve got to do the work and show up if you want results. Rome wasn’t built in a day and you won’t likely attain all the desires of your heart overnight either. Consistency is key as is patience with yourself and the process. While you might connect with a dream job after a single interview, the odds aren’t ever in your favor, my friend. When you try something again and again and again, you cultivate resilience as well as confidence. Be ride-or-die for your own goals and watch what happens along the way when you commit at epic levels.
Think about what you can do differently in these areas and adapt your behavior accordingly. Not sure about how things will go? Hesitant to act without knowing what the outcome will be? Caught up in analysis paralysis? Take action anyway and build your tolerance for ambiguity. I see you. And you’re welcome.