20 Concepts for 2020 (and Beyond)

The general gist of why you should read this: I consume a bunch of content so you don’t have to. Then I disperse it to (hopefully) make your life better.

Well, the new year is here. 2020. That’s insane right? I still feel like 1999 was just a few years ago.

Anyway, I made a list of concepts for this year (and every year after) that I hope you mull over, in a very serious way and then take action. I hope that you remember this list when your life is 10x better and it’s 2030 and you’re sipping your single source, organic coffee on your 100 foot yacht and you’re like…damn, thanks Cait for curating that list.

So let’s get going…

Concept #1: Adopt the “do it anyway” mindset- you know what you need to do and you know your mind will immediately try to make excuses for you. Laugh at your mind and do it anyway. Don’t want to go for your morning run? Oh well, do it anyway. Don’t want to sit down and work? Oh well, do it anyway. Don’t want to eat your green veggies? Do. It. Anyway.

Concept #2: Focus on process goals instead of outcome goals. An outcome goal would be something like, I want 100 new followers in January. A process goal would be, I will create a new, amazing piece of content every Tuesday in January. Enjoy the process.

Concept #3: Realize that your rituals and habits define who you are as a person. You literally are what you do. It’s that whole actions speak louder than words thing. Create better habits this year. Start by reading more and pick up Atomic Habits by James Clear.

Concept #4: Become a merchant of “WOW”. Plan to over-deliver and delight someone- a customer, a co-worker, a friend, etc.- at least once per day.

Concept #5: Start asking for advice. It flatters people, it gives you incredible insight and it also creates allies.

Concept #6: You need to outlast the old you to get to the new you. Progress isn’t quick and it isn’t easy, but it will always be worth it. And old you is gonna fight new you, every chance it gets. Hush old you.

Concept #7: Figure out how to do simple, better. Always seek to simplify. Addition by subtraction. Life is complicated and people are complicated, so you’re incredibly valuable if you can simplify things.

Concept #8: Recognize that your life is merely a reflection of your choices and standards. Make better choices and raise your standards. Overweight? Make better choices. Bad relationships? Raise your standards. Hate your job? Make better choices AND raise your standards.

Concept #9: Respect your competitors but don’t be in awe of them. Don't speak ill of them but do compete aggressively.

Concept #10: Understand that you’re most useful if you’re able to recognize and remove obstacles, not just for your yourself but for others as well.

Concept #11: Make sure to surround yourself with the best men (and women), not the yes men. You don’t need people who just nod along with your ideas, you need to be challenged if you wish to keep growing.

Concept #12: Utilize this simple equation for success: what you really want plus what you’re willing to work for mins distractions.

Concept #13: Smile more and realize pressure is a privilege, not a problem. You’re lucky to be working on important things. You're lucky to have a family to tend to.

Concept #14: Notice that if everything is high priority, then nothing is. Be ruthless in your prioritization. This may mean learning to say no. Bet you never heard that one before ;)

Concept #15: Accept that it's little things make big things happen. Big, important things don’t just happen all at once and they rarely happen because of other big events. It’s the daily grind of little things over months and years.

Concept #16: Repeat this low-key awesome mantra: brave solutions, steadfast commitment. It's a fitting statement for both professional and personal goals.

Concept #17: Make this the year you stop breaking other people’s rules and start making your own. Life really is too short to be listening to other people's often silly, frequently antiquated rules.

Concept #18: Theme of 2020? Engage. Be an active participant in your life. Decide to be present consistently. Engage with your job, your co-workers, your family, friends, etc. Why can't any job be your dream job? Engage and make it so.

Concept # 19: Pay attention to the voice in your head (it's there all the time so it's easy to ignore it). When it starts being negative, lazy, etc. notice it and stop it immediately. Practice catching it and changing the tone real time.

Concept #20: Learn to ask better questions. Better questions of yourself (ex. Where do I see myself in 10 years and how do I get there?) and for your clients (ex. How do I create the utmost value for them?). Think of questions that focus on bettering yourself and helping others.

BONUS (because you should always give the people a little something extra): You don’t make money, you earn it. You earn money by earning people’s attention and, ultimately, their trust. So bring value, every time.

This is a lot to digest, I know. But hopefully you take one nugget a day and mull it over. And while I appreciate you reading my list, I would urge you to create your own. Whether it’s 2 concepts or 200, create it and share it with me!

Until next time, work hard and be weird.