Make 2021 Your Best Year So Far

For many of us reflecting on the year 2020 the phrase “hot mess express” comes to mind. So many things went wrong it felt like congress passed Murphy’s Law into actual legislation last January. It’s been hard for sure. However, let’s not lose hope. 

New year’s is the perfect time to take stock of our lives, brainstorm opportunities, and decide how to best attack the next 12 months. With some intentionality we can create a better year than the one we just had. We can’t control everything, but we CAN control our actions, reactions, mindset, and attitude.

With that in mind I’m going to lay out three ideas to help you make 2021 your best year so far.

1- Have a more specific vision than you’ve ever had

I’ve never had a client who was too clear about what they wanted. I have many who don’t have much clarity at all. The superior results of the former group teach us this – to accomplish our goals we need start with a high degree of clarity about what our aim is. 

Don’t feel bad or beat yourself up if 2020 was a fuzzy year for you. Instead, take this opportunity around new years to reflect on your values and your desires! From those cornerstones start to build your vision for 2021.

Not sure about what you want? Let’s talk about how to get that clarified. Let’s say you know what your aim is – now it’s time to paint a vivid picture of your preferred future. This can take the form of a vision board or journaling. The key is to make sure it’s very clear when you’ve accomplished your goal. Test your goal by showing it to someone and asking them if they can recapitulate exactly when it’s completed. If they can’t specify exactly when the goal is achieved, it may be too vague.

Take the time to get hyper clear about your goals for 2021, and just watch as focus and motivation begin to manifest in your life.

2- Raise your standards for what you can do

You have so much untapped skill and potential, it’s time to start expecting more from yourself! More joy, more productivity, more meaning in your everyday. Raising your expectations for what is possible in your life is the key shift that needs to take place if you want to be better and feel better next year.

This shift is a simple one, but it can take time. The problem is we are influenced by our current expectations of ourselves. Throughout our lives we build up an identity based on what we’ve accomplished so far, and this becomes our reference point for our ability. We always judge future goals based on what we’ve done in the past. This limits us severely!

The day we take full ownership of our mindset and attitude is the day we become capable of anything. We must let go of our reference points in the past and embrace full responsibility for creating the future we want. We do that by raising our standards.

What is one area of your life you want to grow in that needs a higher standard? What is that higher standard? How will make sure you’re accountable your new standard. 

Believe you can do more and be more next year by setting your bar higher.

3- Be radically committed to keeping momentum

Why do most people struggle at the end of January to stay on track with their new year’s resolutions? The answer is they don't intentionally maintain momentum.

Let’s say you have a goal to lose 40 pounds in 2021. You do some research, setup a food plan, and establish an exercise routine. It all looks great. There is simply no chance this plan can go wrong, right?!

Well, of course there is – you’re a human! Studies show around 95% of accidents are caused by human error, it’s the same problem in this case. The problem is we expect ourselves to act like machines. Like we’ll always have the same high levels of motivation that we did when we first laid out the plan. 

The key to solve this is to anticipate our humanness. This is done by focusing on momentum.

Momentum happens making a tiny bit of progress seven days a week. Committing to a few small habits we can 100% stick to is better than trying to revolutionize our life in one day.

So, what little habits can you setup in 2021 that you KNOW you can keep? What daily routines (e.g., writing down your goals, prioritizing tasks for the day) can you focus on to keep the momentum rolling towards your goals?

Keep the focus on momentum in 2021 to make it your best year yet.

In conclusion 2020 has been a dumpster fire of a year but 2021 doesn’t have to be. Let’s decide today to make 2021 our best year yet. Let’s bring new levels of intentionality, vibrancy, and excellence to this year. Let’s raise our standards, setup new habits, and start this new year strong!

You got this my friend. Until next time, go out there and create the impossible in your life!

- Joey