Well, we are just a few weeks away from the end of 2023. Can you believe it? This year has gone by really fast but I hope it has been a productive year for you. Most of all, I hope that you can look back on the last twelve months with a sense of accomplishment and joy. For me, 2023 has been an incredible year. I have achieved many of my goals, made progress, and experienced tremendous growth in my life and business. I thought this would be a great time to share some insights with you to help you finish the year strong and start 2024 empowered. I hope these insights will ignite you to make the most of the moments you have left in this year!
Take some time to evaluate this year. Honestly, when I bring up the word evaluation a lot of people start to get anxious and uncomfortable. As someone who trains and develops leaders around the world, I know that much of the apprehension is connected to the lack of results in a person's life. While it is not easy to have to confront our shortcomings, it is essential to our growth and development. Have you met your goals for the year? Where did you come up short? Why did you come up short? I've discovered that a life without evaluation will never experience transformation. Denial is one of the greatest enemies of your development. Over the next few weeks, I want you to pull your goals back out and measure your goals against your results. Your life does not improve by wishful thinking or good intentions. Your life changes through examination, accountability, and course correction. Evaluation is not a tool for condemnation. Evaluation is all about personal responsibility and transformation.
Spend some time reflecting on the last year. Honestly, 2023 has been the greatest year of my life. While I have faced a myriad of challenges, I have grown so much as a person in every aspect of my life. Every single year I take time to reflect. I pull out my journal, my planner, and some notes that I have taken throughout the year. This allows me to examine the goals I set, the things I got done and provides some insights into my productivity and progress. Reflection is a catalyst for growth and evolution. I've come to discover that if you do not take the time to reflect then you will ultimately repeat the same cycles year after year. Reflection is powerful because it measures our progress against our potential, our productivity against our performance, and our goals against our growth. Reflection provides powerful insights into who you are personally and professionally. More importantly, reflection provides key insights into how you prioritize your time and your tasks.
Assess your paradigm. If you want to finish the year strong, then understand that it will take more than positive thinking and good intentions. To finish the year strong, you must take the time to assess your thought pattern and process. What are you thinking? How is your thinking shaping the trajectory of your life? As you heard me say before, 2023 has been the greatest year of my life. However, this year challenged me and pushed me to grow in ways that I have never been pushed before. As a result, I was forced to confront self-limiting beliefs and perceptions. I am not telling you that it was easy or comfortable. At the same time, I will say that it produced growth and courage in my life. It empowered me to be more and do more. When you challenge your paradigm you are empowered to pursue more for your life. Do not allow your thinking to be the thing that threatens your advancement and ascension. More is available to you but it begins with the adjustment of our mind. The mind must adjust for more to be accommodated in your life. Stretch your thinking and move from scarcity and limitations to abundance and limitless possibilities. You cannot produce an abundant life with a bankrupt paradigm.
Develop a new strategy. As a high achiever, people are always curious about how I can consistently execute and reach my goals. I'm respected around the world as a thought leader. However, what a lot of people do not know about me is that I am a strategist. My strategies have empowered individuals and organizations around the world to realize their greatest potential. Every year is successful for me because I approach every year with a carefully devised strategy. Most people enter into a new year with excitement and enthusiasm. However, without a clear strategy, they are prone to repeat the same mistakes of the past. Strategy empowers you to develop your focus, hone your skills, master your moments, and execute your vision. Strategy is what separates those who dream from those who realize their dreams. As we go out of 2023, I want you to take some time to not just write down your goals but develop the strategies that will empower you to achieve your goals. Strategy will trump good intentions every single time.