A Successful New Year's Eve

Happy New Year's Eve, everybody! I'm so excited to talk to you and kick off this year right. Today, we’re going to get into the tools to make 2020 the year of your life — literally. 

There are always two types of people on the New Year's Eve spectrum. They’re those who view this as the kickoff for their "new year new me, let's do this" mantra. And those who wonder why we have to wait until January 1st to start living the life we want. Honestly, I don't think you have to choose a side of the spectrum. For me, this time of year brings new energy, and I love to harness that. 

It's the time for celebrations, for new beginnings and gratitude. Sometimes it's what you need to get you out of your rut, embracing new possibilities, new determination, and clarity. You get to decide how you want to spend the year, and isn't there something incredible about that?

I want to take a look at some of the tools I used in 2019 to create my most successful year yet. When it comes to business goals and personal development, I accomplished everything I set out to do last year. Yes, you heard it, everything! Not many people can say that, and I'm super proud when I look back at my list of achievements. Do you want to know how I did it? 

Adjusting My Mindset 

Let's start with an exercise. This is something I incorporated into my daily routine last year. Start by closing your eyes and then picture success. Remember, success looks different to all of us, so you've got to imagine your interpretation. 

Think about what your life would be like if you thought big, aimed so high and dreamed so big, what could your life be like a year from now? Think about how achieving those things would feel, allow yourself to feel success. 

Our brains don't know the difference between perception and reality. By allowing yourself to feel that sense of accomplishment, you're permitting yourself to make it a reality. Life is too short for the "I would have, I could have" mentality. You have to pursue what you want, tunnel vision on those dreams, and make this the year for impact. This is one of the many secrets to my success over the last year. 

Showing Up For Yourself

I started 2019 by writing a list with the title "showing up this year." Think about the difference between "showing up" and writing goals. These are things I will do, not hope to do. My list included things like "read at night," "live life in a body I love," "travel once a month," "maintain my podcast," and "build my business." 

Then I took it a step further and identified three things about the woman I wanted to become. I had to embody these three things, making them part of who I am. I recognized that I want to be a woman who takes relentless action, a woman who values self-development, and health above everything else — a woman who shows up and follows through. 

Sitting on the brink of New Year's Eve and 2020, I can honestly look back on this list, and not only did I achieve my goals, but I've become the woman I wanted to be. I did it, and it's helped me realize that I can create the life I want if I have laser focus. It genuinely starts by just showing up for yourself. Think of all the people who restart a fitness program every January only to fall off the wagon by February. You have to be ready and willing to show up. Once you do that, you'll own your year. 

Imagine the Process

No matter how you view goal setting and your stance on the New Year's Eve spectrum, if you're reading this, you are a goal-orientated person. The key to success is going a step further. You're not only writing your goals or what you want to achieve but also who you want to become. This "who," the person you want to be, is as important as the how. 

Perhaps one of the most critical things I did was picture the process — not just the big beautiful goal. Break it down into small steps so you can look ahead, stepping stone by stepping stone. By doing this, you can trick your brain into thinking differently.  

Take your one-year goal and look at it month by month, week by week, and day by day. What can I start with now? What impact will it have? Designing your growth this way allows you, if not forces you, to consider the process. 

Bring Your Goals to Life

Two key things that helped me turn my goals into a reality was writing them down, sharing them, and saying them out loud. We are 39.5% more likely to achieve our goals if we write them down. Before you try to tackle anything this year, put it on paper. Write it on the wall, frame it, put it on your fridge — whatever you do, write it down. 

The next step is sharing it. Learn to live out loud and talk about your goals with your family, your friends, and your tribe. People might think you're crazy, but who freaking cares!? You need to own your goals, talk about them, and make them real. 

If you're ashamed to talk about investing in your goals, you're probably too afraid to achieve them. It's a harsh reality, but if you can't be open with your tribe about what you want to do, you aren't that serious about it. 

Time Block

I know it seems crazy, but yes, take out your calendar and look at an entire year! Every New Year's Eve, we do this. We sit with our calendar and we plan. We make sure we factor in our seasons, hustle and grind, and time-off. Vacations and downtime are essential! You can pursue your goals relentlessly without burning out and losing all your balance. 

We like to plan at least three trip years. Two are with other couple friends, and one is just us. We haven't booked anything yet, but we take the time to plan when we want to travel, and over the next few months, we'll actually start booking. In 2019 we took time off. We made the trips we planned to do and our year was better for it. 

While you're planning your time off, account for some crazy work periods. Identify a season where it's grind time for you and your work, so you know, "ok, these months are going to be busy as hell." Remember, life is seasonal. There need to be moments of madness and moments of calm — design your year to include them both. 

Create the Ultimate Environment

I'll be blunt and honest. While process, time blocking, and showing up are integral parts of making your goals a reality. This step, this consideration, is the be-all and end-all to making your goals come to fruition. 

Look around you and take an inventory of your environment. Start with your people. Look at your friends, do they support you and encourage you? Is your spouse on board? If the people around you don't like your goals, you have an obligation to change your environment. 

This doesn't mean you have to drastically cleanse your life. You don’t have to axe friends who aren't on your path. I still have friends who don't support what I'm doing, but I still love them. The adjustment is the time I now spend with them. It's inherently different from the time with my tribe. 

When I looked at my environment, it was vital for me to grow with my husband Pat and not away from him. I made sure we had honest and raw conversations, and I had those same talks with my family. It wasn't easy, but I had to open up that communication, including my loved ones, in my process.

Take a look at your home. Is it conducive to the person you want to become? I cleared out all the random stuff I didn't need anymore. We donated a ton of things, sold things, and created an environment for accomplishment. 

I redid my office, this year I want to paint our house, and maybe we'll even want to move states? I invested time and money into my space, creating the energy I needed. When my environment didn't match my goals, I changed it. 

Invest in Yourself

Start with one thing that will help you on your road to success. Changing your whole world can be intimidating and overwhelming. My advice is to pick one small thing you can do now. Is it hiring a life coach? Is it investing in a program that you need? 

I started by investing in a therapist. I needed help with myself before I could tackle the rest of my environment. I took the time to identify areas where I needed help, who could help me, and then I did it, I asked. 

I laid my goals out on the table and identified where I needed help. I asked all my questions, researched as much as possible, and then I made educated investments in those areas. You can't just throw money at your goals. Don’t follow someone else's program without identifying where you need help. Remember, this is about your goals. 

Live a Life True to You

I read a book recently that included a study. The study revealed information from people on their deathbeds. Their biggest regret was not living a life true to themselves, not having the courage to move away from what was expected.  

This got me thinking. Are we dreaming big enough? When you set your goals, are you relentlessly following the life you want? If you decide to live a life of courage, a life true to you, it doesn't really matter what goals you set this year. 

If you've got that attitude, whatever it is you want to achieve this year is possible. You have to be real, raw, honest, and driven. No more crashing and burning - it’s time for that happy and confident life you’ve always wanted. 

The One Thing

Before you embark on your goal-driven power journey, I recommend reading Gary Keller's The One Thing. The book refers to an apt analogy, something that's really stuck with me. He talks about the tale of two wolves. 

Inside all of us, there's a constant battle of two wolves. One wolf represents fear, while the other represents faith. The real question is, which wolf wins? Well, it's the one you feed. 

You get to decide which wolf you feed. Our conditioning automatically feeds fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. All you have to do is switch it up and feed the other wolf. Feed the faith. Feed the decisiveness, feed the confidence. Don't forget that you get to choose. 

Why You Should Listen to This Episode Right Now...

This was one of my favorite episodes to record. I'm so passionate about this because I've seen it in action. I've actually done it! You can do it too, and I can't wait to watch it happen and celebrate you!

If you want to kick your year off by reading Gary Keller's The One Thing, you can download it on Amazon or listen to the audiobook version on Audible. You can also check out his website to read more about the one thing standing between you and your goals. 

I encourage you to go through my steps starting from the very beginning. Write it down, share it, time block, change your environment, and invest in yourself. Start feeding the faith, not the fear. 

Whatever you decide to do this New Year's Eve, enjoy it and know that I'm so pumped you’re on this journey. I believe in you, your goals, and your vision, and I'll be here every step of the way, please share it all with me.    If you loved this episode, share it with your friends, and don't forget to tag @thejennkennedy! 

Happy New Year — here's to 2020!