Well, we are officially coming to the end of 2020. While I know this has been a very challenging year for so many people, this has been one of the best years of my life. We are truly living in uncertain and unprecedented times. However, I hope that in the midst of all of it that you can find something to be grateful for. The fact that are still alive is a great blessing when we have seen so much death around us in 2020. I want to share a few insights with you on why I feel it is a necessity that you finish 2020 strong. I hope these truths will resonate you with and position you for success and prosperity in 2021. You must seize the moment!
You cannot finish the year strong without being grateful. Yes, I know that some of you are saying that Thanksgiving is over. However, if you know me, then you know that Thanksgiving is never relegated to a date on the calendar. Thanksgiving is a state of consciousness and a way of life for me. So I want you to take time to express gratitude. The fact that you are alive and healthy is something to be thankful for. The fact that you made it through one of the most difficult years you should be grateful. While everything that has happened in 2020 may not have been good, you can still find some good in this year. Do not allow events and experiences to make you lose your heart of gratitude. In fact, if you want to experience life at its best then you must never forget that every day is a gift and every waking moment is a blessing. So find the silver lining in this year and take a few moments to write down what you are most grateful for as you look back over the year 2020.
Do not curse your life because of adverse circumstances. As I have spoken with people all around the world this year, I have heard so many people declare 2020 canceled. While I am not making light of what you have gone through in 2020, I want you to be careful that you do not curse a cycle because you experience crisis or challenges. Honestly, when the United States shut down in March most people were not really being that productive anyway. In fact, by mid January most people had already abandoned their goals and returned to life as usual. So you cannot blame the pandemic for a lack of productivity or progress in your life. Then so many people did not make the best use of the time that they had. Therefore, no goals were manifested and no dreams were realized. As someone that knows a lot about adversity, you have to understand that challenges and contradictions are part of the journey to greatness. When life happens, you have to make the decision to prevail for victory or to accept defeat in your life. If you think you are going to experience victory without opposition, then you really do not have a clue what it takes to be successful. It is not a matter of if challenges will arise in your life. No, it is a matter of when challenges will arise in your life. More importantly, victory is determined by your response to resistance. Do not curse your year but instead collide with the challenges that oppose your progress and your victory.
Refuse to leave out of 2020 without learning the important lessons. As you know, I always write down my most important lessons of the year. When I look back over 2020, I have a lot of lessons that I could share. However, I think the most important lesson that this year taught me is that too many people live with broken focus and divided loyalties. For years, I have heard people say that if I only had more time I would be more productive and I would accomplish my goals. Unfortunately, when the lockdown started here in the states it became clear that this was only wishful thinking. 2020 gifted us all with an abundance of time. What did you do with the gift of time that you were given in 2020? Many people chose to binge watch their favorite shows on Netflix. Others chose to scroll social media for hours. Yet others chose to complain about how terrible their lives were. Sadly, not many people truly took advantage of this gift of time. Earlier in this piece I stated that 2020 has been one of the greatest years of my life. I am sure some of you wonder how I can make such a statement. However, 2020 has been the most productive year of my life. I released my ninth book, won numerous awards, expanded my podcast and reached more people around the world, provided crisis leadership strategies and solutions to leaders around the world and rebranded my company. In addition, I took new courses, read new books and committed rigorously to my personal growth and development. 2020 revealed that time was never the reason that many people never accomplished their goals. The reality is that most people never accomplish their goals because they are not a priority in their lives.
You cannot finish 2020 strong without a strategy. For more than a decade, I have doing a yearly Finish the Year Strong campaign. While 2020 has produced many changes, this year has not changed my commitment to empowering people around the world to fulfill purpose and maximize their greatest potential. As I have previously taught in my Finish the Year Strong Master Class, you cannot finish the year strong without a clear strategy. Many people wonder how I am able to consistently achieve my goals and realize my dreams. The answer is that I have taken the time to devise a clear strategy for success in my life. I do not begin a new cycle without clarity and strategies. As you reflect and ponder the lessons of this year, I want you to use that information to develop a strategy for success in 2021. You do not need to wait until January to get your strategy. Instead, I challenge you to go into January already having a clear strategy for results in your life. According to the Oxford Dictionary, a strategy is a plan that is intended to achieve a particular purpose. The process of planning something or putting a plan into operation. As we go into the final three weeks of this year, I want you to set aside some time to reflect, think, and devise your 2021 strategy. 2021 will be fruitful for me because I have formulated my strategy, set my benchmarks, defined my priorities and honed my focus for maximum results. Success is not the product of guesswork. Success is the product of a clearly defined vision and clearly articulated goals. Strategy puts ideas into motion and engineers how you invest your moments. Strategy empowers you to consistently make progress and create big wins. If you want to make 2021 the greatest year of your life, then know that your strategy will shape your success.