11 Ways to Make it Happen

Let’s face it; this year was either pretty awful or truly awesome for many of us.

 Unfortunately the brain is predisposed to focus on the crap! Those threats, the negatives – and they hit us hard and tend to stay with us longer. 

We can change our focus and let’s make 2016 happen for us as a year of positivity, change and empowerment!

Here are 11 ways to Make it Happen in 2016 (normally 10, I wanted to over deliver this year!) -

1. Focus on YOU! Guess what we are not perfect and we all have weaknesses. We are all different and have our own strengths and talents. Focus on these as they are A LOT more fun (and empowering for your mind) and it will completely change your life by focusing on what makes you rock. Be authentic and be truly who YOU are. Don’t be anyone else. As Coco Chanel once said, “In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.”
2. Stop Comparing! It is human nature to look at what other people are doing. Don’t look at them though and say to yourself, I wish I was doing that, or had that. Or I wish I were as successful as them. Let them do it, have it and be successful. I don’t compare, I celebrate with them. And I focus on what I have, do and what I need to be the best I can be.
3. Surround yourself with your Tribe. We all have people around us that want to help row our boat. We don’t need 10,000’s of people on Facebook or millions of contacts, but true friends, supporters, associates and people who want to help and support us to be the best we can be. In turn, we also must take care of our tribe. It is about GIVING not receiving. I really love supporting and caring for my tribe. Successful people have a great support network; make sure they are great!
4. Get rid of people who want to put holes in your boat. Yes they are out there, people who want to bring us down, talk behind our back and don’t want the best for us. Get RID of them! They are not worth your time or space. Own your space and only surround yourself with your tribe. Life is way too short to waste on people who don’t want the best for you.
5. Write down Meaningful Goals. Did you see the word meaningful? We all seem to head into a new year and have all the plans and goals in the world; I do it! Put meaning around them, the WHY, make sure they are measurable, don’t stress if you only get to 70%, put them into action and visit them everyday. An example is – I want to lose weight n in 2016. Nope! Instead – I want to focus on my health as I want to live life to the fullest in 2016 and this means eating healthy, exercising 3 times a week and losing 5 kilograms in 3 months. I will do this by…
6. Don’t stress about Stress. This year our greatest theme we heard from leaders was “We are so busy. I am so stressed.” I get it. Yes we all have a lot on our plates. I decided this year to change my language and say I am hard working. Also at times my stress levels are higher than normal. When this happens, I find out why. Take a breath and think to myself, can I change it, accept it or remove myself from it. A little stress is okay, and if you reframe the stress and say to yourself it is okay, it will pass. If it doesn’t then do something about it.
7. Remember to Breath. Stop peddling so fast. Stop and enjoy life. Please take a moment to give your brain and mind a rest - breath. Some of my greatest ideas and innovations happen when I am relaxed or zoning out. I take a walk in the park or along the water, and just breath. Our brains take up 20% of our body’s energy resources, and the more you are peddling, working hard and busy racing around, the more you will deplete our greatest resource. Take care of your brain, take care of you.
8. No More Diversity. Leaders; diversity is incredibly important but let’s focus on acceptance, unique, inclusive, leadership, different, innovation, ideas, beautiful, love and contradiction. We have 7.3 billion different brains on this planet, and that means 7.3 billion ways of thinking diffferently. How cool! Let’s open ourselves up to this and take action. Stop talking diversity and start being the truly inclusive leaders we are! We Lead OUR World.
9. Collective Leadership. The world has changed greatly due to a number of amazing variables. The ability to connect, collaborate and communicate globally has truly made a difference to our world. We now have the ability to collectively lead and make a difference to our world. Let’s own it. Let’s empower everyone around us. Let’s create the world we want to see.
10. Watch your Frame. Have you ever worked or been with someone who sees the world as half empty? And you feel completely drained when you spend time with them or you are around them? One of my favourite books is the Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor where his research has proven that our brains work better when we are happy. Guess what we are the Director of our Brains and it is up to us to change our frames and focus on the positive. I am not saying ignore the negative; just don’t focus your entire frame on it, as I love to say “Attention Goes, Energy Flows!” When our brains are "happy" that positivity will ripple out to others and this can also can raise the productivity, motivation and engagement of others around you. Change the frame and you change the GAME!
11. Be a Leader. You can do it. Imagine a world where we all saw ourselves as leaders. A world where we knew that making a difference to each other’s lives would change our world. If you haven’t watched the Ted Talk Lollipop Leadership, please do. It is only 5 minutes and will change how you see leadership and yourself. We are all leaders.

Hope you loved my 11 ways to Make it Happen and I would love to hear how you could put some or all of this into action! You might have some other ways you can make it happen too. 

Share your stories with LeadershipHQ and the Leaders across this amazing world of ours. 

Make it Happen!