In my home office, beneath the triple monitors connected to my Macbook Pro reads the following quote:
“Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials.” Lin Yutang
Derek Sivers is a musician and the creator of the company CD Baby, which went on to do over $100 million in sales before he sold the company in 2008. One of my favorite articles he wrote is titled “No ”yes.“ Either ”HELL YEAH!“ or ”NO.“ Here is the article:
“Use this rule if you’re often over-committed or too scattered.
If you’re not saying “HELL YEAH!” about something, say “no”.
When deciding whether to do something, if you feel anything less than “Wow! That would be amazing! Absolutely! Hell yeah!” — then say “no.”
When you say no to most things, you leave room in your life to really throw yourself completely into that rare thing that makes you say “HELL YEAH!”
Every event you get invited to. Every request to start a new project. If you’re not saying “HELL YEAH!” about it, say “no.”
We’re all busy. We’ve all taken on too much. Saying yes to less is the way out.”
Today is January 1, 2021, and most of you know that I get very serious the week after Christmas gearing up and preparing for a new year. I have an ever-evolving process for EOY (End Of Year) review and NYP (New Year Planning). And usually, I help take a ton of people through it after I’m done. Last year I even had people register and attend a small, private, live event. Here’s a photo from last year:
Truth be told, I thought about doing that bigger and better this year than I ever have before. BUT… not right now.
Right now I’m in the midst of several big projects that are moving my life and businesses forward, and they require my intense focus. My point with this writing is to share with you that this is not procrastination.
Procrastination is putting off what should be done right now. Prioritizing is implementing the most important things first and putting off things of lesser importance until a later time.
If I am working on huge projects that are moving my life and my businesses forward, why would I stop to plan projects that will… move my life and businesses forward? Just because it’s New Year? Just because other people are? I think not. I have chosen to do my New Year planning when I get done with these few projects that are the biggest projects I have identified to move my life forward. Of course, I still set goals through my own process (STRATEGIC goals, which we will talk about in a later post).
If you want to break free from the herd, use your brain. Use your mind. Think. Don’t do what the rest of the world tells you to do, or what the rest of the world does in most cases, or what any “guru” you follow teaches just because they teach it. Think deeply about your life. Strategize. What are you trying to accomplish?
The week after Christmas, Julie and I went to Sipsey Wilderness Loop in Alabama. We hiked 30.4 miles in 2 days, carrying all of our equipment, food, water, and tent on our backs. The next day we went mountain biking, and the final day we hiked and toured Natural Bridge before heading home. Then we celebrated New Year’s Eve together with a couple of dear friends, the Rose Bowl game is right now (it’s Half Time as we speak) and I will be back busy as ever tomorrow with these projects that are vital to my life and business growth. Why would I stop now to plan? The point is… I won’t. I will do some strategic planning when I get done with these major projects.
“But what about taking time for things that are important?“
“Don’t you have to slow down sometimes in order to speed up?”
“Don’t all the gurus do goal setting at the beginning of the year?
Yeah yeah yeah. That’s what we are told, and yes I agree most of the time with those philosophies. But the main strategy I am pushing right now is the power of focus. When you identify things that move your life forward, attack them. Focus on them. Knock them out of the park. I’ll set some goals when I get done crushing these important projects that I am in the middle of working on.
Focus. Implement. Work. Don’t get stuck just planning, or going with the times on what everyone else is doing. Heck if you pay attention, most people aren’t even headed in the direction that you want your life or business to go anyway, so be careful who you follow.
What should you say “no” or “not right now” to currently? Think about that and let me know.
By the way, can you relate to the feeling of knowing what you should be doing but not being able to kick yourself in gear to make the massive changes in life that you know you should be making? Feel like procrastination is kicking your tail? Tired of watching other peo[le make strives while wondering why you can’t seem to kick yourself into high gear like you know you are capable of?
If so, congrats, you are human.
If you want to accelerate 2021 like never before, you need Strategic Motivation. We all need it. This will open your eyes and be the fuel and catalyst you need for real change. I guarantee it.
Also, are we connected on social media? Let’s connect. www.StrategicLifeDesign.com/connect
Remember, you’re only one strategy away…
