3 Steps for a Game Changing life

 Impact, 1/1/2015
[This article is not for everyone. Most of you are quite satisfied with your life right now, so don’t waste your time reading it. For just a few others, it will be the moment that they put a stake in the ground and decide make an Impact. Either way, enjoy the football games today!]

If you are like most people, you have an annual New Year’s Resolution. You know, the one by the end of the week we’ve totally forgotten about? We all do it in one form or another. So according to USA.gov (the U.S. government's official web portal…I didn’t know we had an official web portal!), weight loss is the #1 resolution. That’s fine, I guess.

But let’s shoot a little higher, shall we? Let’s decide to make a real impact…at work, in your family, in your community, or how about in your life. Let’s not just settle, let’s challenge ourselves that this year, this week, this day,  we will do something truly great. An aspiration so impactful, that when we look back, we see this as one of those “watershed” moments in our life. It’s your passion area that you are designed to accomplish better than anyone else. You know what it is. You’ve known for a long time. The problem has never been in the dream…it’s always been in the execution of that dream. Today, it’s time to get serious.

Ready? Here’s how:

Clarity

Take a piece of paper (old school…you remember paper, right?) and write out what you will do this year and what steps you need to accomplish.  If you wrote, “Be a better person” or “Make more money”, go back to square one. Those are objectives. You need goals, those mile markers along the way to check that you are on the right path.  Make them specific, quantifiable and with dates. The better you can do this will increase your likelihood of reaching them. Take your time, but finish it before you lay your head on the pillow tonight. You can and you will “tweak” it many times in the upcoming days. But if you can’t even write it out today, then put your dream list ‘cause it ain’t happening!

And then, ask yourself if you are you aiming high enough?

Commitment

If you wrote it down, then you are 50% more likely to achieve it. But that’s not good enough for you to finally get your dream. Go tell someone. If you hold yourself accountable and write it down, that zooms to 150%! Tell your boss, your spouse, your closest friend what you are committing to this year. Give them permission to ask you about it periodically. In return, you promise to be honest about where you are at. Accountability is the key, and it’s where most fail because it’s radical and risky. But isn’t your dream worth it?

 Not many people commit, most just complain. But not you…not this year.

 Courage

This is going to be hard.  You will want to quit. And you might. Many times.  You will hit roadblocks, mountains, and setbacks. You will question if your dream is possible or even worth it. In that very moment, you face your greatest enemies called Complacency and Rationalization. This is where you need to reach out for help. Don’t go this alone. Talk to the people who love you and care about you. For some of you, allowing them to help you will be one of your biggest obstacles. They really do care and want you to change your world. And don’t give up. Runners know that you must keep your focus on putting one foot in front of the other to reach the goal. Don’t stop, keep moving.

 So let’s get started now, today. Go find a sheet of paper…..

 “Winners imagine their dreams first. They want it with all their heart and expect it to come true. There's no other way to live.” -Joe Montana (4 Super Bowl Championships plus 1977 National Championship at Notre Dame)