Nine Ideas to Make This Year Your Most Awesome Adventure Ever
New Year’s resolutions seldom worked for me. I’d start off full of hope, but that eventually dwindled away when I didn’t follow through. How about you?
After years of trial and error I found a better way to ensure that I could get things done that are important to me. I’m still a work in progress at age 73, so this post is to help you and me.
Here’s the question: How can we make 2020 our best year ever?
Let us count the ways…
1. Realize that your time is precious and irreplaceable!
Don’t wait for a perfect time. It never comes. Do what’s important for your well-being and happiness now.
2. Determine ONE thing you want to achieve first.
Ideally, this will be something that will be the leading edge of a year of achievement. Obviously, you have many things you want in life. But for now, choose the one thing you want to achieve first.
3. Decide when you intend to achieve it.
Be ready for those inevitable roadblocks and delays, but keep going. When you’re ready to give up, that’s a sign of an approaching achievement.
4. Think about it daily. Make plans to achieve it. Visualize it.
Here are some resources to help you do that:
- Atomic Habits by James Clear, which shows the power of small, seemingly insignificant daily habits.
- How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life by Alan Lakien, which outlines a process to get you to that thing you most want to achieve first.
- Self-Discipline in 10 days: How To Go From Thinking to Doing by Theodore Bryant, which does exactly what it says it will do — guides you from thinking to doing.
- The Path of Least Resistance: Learning to Become the Creative Force in Your Own Life by Robert Fritz, described on Amazon as “a revolutionary program for creating anything, from a functional kitchen to a computer program, to a work of art.” It is.
- The Right to Write by Julia Cameron is a life-preserver that can rescue one’s writing ambition if you or someone you love needs it. I’m including it here just in case you find it useful. Many years ago, Julia Cameron in her wonderful book, rescued my lost ambition to write.
- The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand is a novel and may seem a strange choice for this list. But it can provide much needed inspiration and energy in your quest to achieve what you want. The example of one man’s achievement in the face of tremendous obstacles will show you the power of thinking for yourself and following your dreams without selling your soul.
- The Thinking Directions blog by Jean Moroney is full of great ideas to think better and spend more time doing what matters most. Lots of free resources on her site. Highly recommended.
- Also, take advantage of the tremendous resources in information, inspiration, and hands-on implementation that is available right here on Medium.com.
5. Seek helpful advice and ideas from positive people you trust.
Find those who offer you the value of their ideas, encouragement, and inspiration. These individuals can come from those in your circle of friends and acquaintances as well as from respected authors and luminaries.
Here are just some of the writers and thinkers I continue to find helpful (in addition to the authors and resources I mention above):
- Brian Johnson — An amazing and inspiring guy who can help you learn just about anything!
- Josh Spector — His “For the Interested” free online newsletter offers a plethora of ideas to help you shine.
- Seth Godin — A true luminary.
- Shane Parrish — His “Farnam Street” blog is rich with insights from those who are the movers and shakers of High Tech and any tech.
- Steven Pressfield — He can kick your ass into gear with his inspirational message!
- James Altucher — You’ll never be bored with anything he writes, even what you don’t agree with. He’s fun to read. Plus you learn stuff.
Meanwhile, don’t waste time on the naysayers and negative people who seek to derail your enthusiasm for life. I call them “crab bucket people” in my book, Get What You Want, and show you how to escape that “bucket.”
6. Gain whatever knowledge you need to achieve any goal.
I’ve know many conscientious people who beat themselves up whenever they face a situation in which they don’t have enough information or knowledge to solve the problem. (I’ve been guilty of this too.)
What’s needed in these situations is the knowledge and expertise that can be found in books, on the Internet, and from knowledgeable individuals willing to share what they know. When in doubt, learn what you need to learn to achieve what you want. The resources and people I’ve mentioned above are a good place to start.
7. Write down ideas that come to you throughout the day.
Keep a small notebook and some pens in your pocket wherever you go to jot down any idea that pops into your head. Don’t lose those ideas. I found these all-weather, indestructible notebooks invaluable for this purpose.
8. Take daily steps — no matter how small — toward your goal.
This is where one of the above mentioned books — Atomic Habits — is so valuable. James Clear sets out some surprisingly easy ways to create good habits and break bad ones. Even more importantly, he shows how simple actions taken on a daily basis can create remarkable results.
9. Celebrate the fact that you are alive on this planet of possibility and working for what you want.
There are no guarantees, but when you spend your time on productive pursuits of your choosing, you’ll be on a trajectory of achievement now and into the future.
So, let’s get busy. Start today to pay attention to what matters most.
Do the things that set you free!
—
In the comments section below, let us know which of these ideas resonates the most with you. And, feel free to offer your own ideas and resources to consider. Thanks, as always.
—
Have your best adventure ever, my wonderful Medium followers and writers whom I admire. Thank you for sharing your insights, knowledge, and view of the world. Thank you for boldly being who you are. Stay safe. Be strong. Have fun. Have a most awesome year, with many more to come.
—
How can you accelerate your passion, purpose, and talents? That’s our focus.
Ken West is the author of Get What You Want (later republished as Achieve Your Purpose) which presents a process of self-discovery and achievement. He’s the former president of the New England chapter of the National Speakers Association.
