Happy New Year!
Hello 2021! The world must be truly thrilled to say goodbye to 2020. With the exception of maybe Zoom and Amazon. There’s something about saying twenty twenty-one that feels refreshing. Say it a few more times: twenty twenty-one, twenty twenty-one. Let’s make 2021 our best year ever.
Promise to start with a fresh outlook. And it’s time to put the negative thoughts in the rear-view mirror. Reminder: having a New Year’s resolution is great. But 50 percent of resolutions are forgotten by the end of January. Is your resolution something that is sustainable? If not, simplify it.
Discover three tips to help you get started on making 2021 the best year ever. The tips won’t get rid of the pandemic, get your team to the Final Four or cure cancer. But, they may help you reset your mind as we begin another year.
Pick A Word
Best selling author Jon Gordon is big on picking a word to start the year. A word that will help you focus on what you want to accomplish. Anyone can do it — encourage friends or family to join you. And don’t feel like it’s just for adults. Kindergarten classes have been doing it for years.
Sometimes it’s easy to pick a word. Sometimes you have to let it come to you. This year I debated between positivity, faith and believe. Finally, the word ASPIRE spoke to me. ASPIRE is defined as; direct one's hopes or ambitions towards achieving something; rise high, tower.
Looking back, one year my word was LOVE. That same year, I married the man of my dreams. True story: before I picked the word – getting married wasn’t on the calendar.
Click here for a PDF of Jon Gordon’s 21 tips for a Positive New Year.
Learn a new skill
Don’t laugh -- start by getting a library card. The local library is filled with books for pleasure reading. And it is filled with books that will help you grow professionally as well. I have worked in communications and marketing for 20+ years. But I have a lot to learn about running a small business and managing a boutique marketing agency. I have been checking out library books to add to my skill set. Did you know you can learn a lot about website development and training by consulting the library’s catalog? And even better, the library’s free. I saved more than $3000 in 2020 by using the Hillsborough County Public Library.
Start by reading Jon Gordon’s books. You won’t be sorry. Jay Bilas also wrote an excellent book on developing toughness on and off the court: click to find it here. Not a big reader - ask one of the coaches you work with who is. Or better yet, go to your AD or administrator and ask them for a recommendation on leadership. Trust me, their eyes will light up.
Pro Tip: If you find a library book, love it and want to add it to your collection, look on Amazon. They almost always sell the same books used. The used books are typically in excellent shape. And even better, you can get them for pennies on the dollar.
Check out these 10 reasons reading everyday is important.
Slow Down
Sooner or later we’ll be traveling again on crowded airplanes. Coaches will be back out recruiting 24/7. We will head back to the office 40 hours a week. Until then, slow down. Take life one day at a time. Smile more. Laugh more.
Work on your video call etiquette. Become a better presenter by learning how to breath prior to a presentation. As a result, you will find yourself working on your breathing each day.
Put your phone down and go out for a quick walk at lunch. Stop ordering from Door Dash one night a week; and try a new recipe. Go to bed early. Read a library book for pleasure.
Our Best Year Ever
Pledge to not look back. Wear a mask and social distance. And to quote Queen Elizabeth in her New Year’s Eve social media message: “Take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return. We’ll be with our friends again. We will be with our families again. We will meet again.”
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