DO YOU WANT TO FAIL IN 2020? ****THEN DON’T READ THIS****

TOP 10 MUST DO’S FOR A KILLER 2020

Recently I have been posting a lot about 2020 planning. Some people hate this time of year and some love it. I am the latter for sure! Not only do I like the holidays, but I subscribe to the belief that a solid plan executed effectively will lead to success. Jeff Bezos talks about high standards being teachable. Think about that for a moment! You can learn to have high standards…….................................................

But that also means you have to learn how to recognize them, maintain them, execute, and so on. Make sure that you invest in yourself and work on a plan for success in 2020. I am here to help and below I expand on the TOP TEN WAYS TO IMPROVE AND HAVE A GREAT 2020.

#1 Cut Your Screen Time in Half

The first one is the easiest one. Look at your current screen time and just cut it in half next year. Get out and meet real people, spend time outdoors, be more active, or just go stare at the ocean, but do something beyond looking at your phone for half the day! Be deliberate and really do it and see what happens! Start small and build each day, week, month, and so on.......ACTUALLY SUBTRACT EACH DAY...but you get the point.

2 Get in Shape and Get Active

This is a common one that most people have tried and failed. How many of us have made the New Year’s resolution “I am going to get in shape next year!”? Try doing it a different way. Don’t focus on a specific activity like forcing yourself to go to the gym or lose an exact amount of weight. Try and just be more active. Go for more walks, ride your bike, play a sport, go out and do an activity with family. I am a big advocate of installing new activities in your life that become part of an active lifestyle. Then (if you want) you should absolutely commit to running, cycling, going to the gym, or any number of more traditional forms of exercise. You won’t regret it.

#3 Track Your Net Worth

I wrote about this in a recent post and will share the spreadsheet I use in upcoming posts (so STAY TUNED). When I do *************Click, download, and commit to doing it**************************. I have a calendar event on the first Saturday of a new month. I sit down with a coffee and look at the value of each asset and liability we have and manually enter them in. You can use a variety of apps or software platforms to accomplish this, BUT…….. I like to do it manually. It helps me take pause and really look at the numbers and changes that occur and evaluate why.  Take away:

A. put it in your calendar

B. do it regularly (I recommend monthly or quarterly)

#4 Pick Up a New Hobby or Double Down on Existing One

Think about the times when you were happiest. I bet you spent a lot of time doing something you loved outside of work. It might be playing tennis, boating, travel, playing piano, building things, volunteering, or any number of activities. The key here is find one you like and commit to spending time doing it. It will help you relax, unwind, get better at something, learn, and most importantly be happy. It could also help you with other items on this list – spending time with family, getting in shape, and so on………………If you already have a hobby but it waned in 2019 then reinvigorate yourself and attack it from a new angle in 2020.

#5 Read More

Do you read much? Many of us try but fail due to distractions. There are countless excuses to not read, but if you align it with a goal like relaxing, learning, or just distressing it may help you MAKE THE TIME. I am on a self-improvement kick and my goal is read one book every two weeks. The best CEO’s are said to read 1 a week which is 52 per year, but I thought that was aggressive. So, I am committed to reading 26 books a year, and anything more is icing on the cake. I also have a running list of must read books and my next 3 are in my dresser by the bed on deck so I have no excuses. Give it a try! 

12 books/year – One a month is pretty darn good

26 books/year – One every 2 weeks is better than 90%+ of people out there

52 books/year – If you read 1 book per week you are on par with the top performers in the world and likely more well-read than 99% of people you encounter

***if you need some ideas go check out my posts from 2019 – every Wednesday I recommend a stellar business book and even break down why it was good with a few high-level takeaways. Or follow me in 2020 becasue I will continue the same trend. Consider fiction for some downtime or maybe nonfiction that could give you business insight. Read about new research on the brain.

#6 Transform Consumption of Media from Recreational to Self-Improvement

This item is a fun one. Instead of binging Netflix or listening to junk; try and find an informative Podcast that excites you. I would think about what you are trying to achieve in 2020 and who you want to be. Are you trying to be a better parent? Then find content that supports that. Are you looking to start a new business? Then find a podcast whose host is an authority on that goal who can help you get there. Once you start attacking your goals and aligning your actions and invest the time you will start accomplishing much more at a greater pace.

#7 Spend More Quality Time with Family

This one should be obvious but don’t be Jimmy Stewart’s character, George Bailey, from “It’s a Wonderful Life”! Appreciate what you have and commit to spending time with family. You can also help them achieve the other items on this list AND do it together. Coach your son’s baseball team (be more active, eat well together, new hobby, and so on). Plan a family vacation as a family and consider doing something off the beaten path. I think it would be cool to try and visit major national parks in this country. There are so many wonderful FREE things to do that it are mind blowing. My wife and I went to Yosemite last year and it was breathtaking. No matter what state you live in there are countless things to do that are beautiful, outdoors, and you (and your kids) will remember forever. Go see the Grand Canyon or take them to the ocean. Carve out a few days on summer vacation to get out on the water by visiting the local lake. It isn’t just about time but QUALITY time where you are unplugged from phones, screens, social media, and the barrage of technology that is thrust upon us daily. Your kids will thank you….and so will your spouse.

#8 Eat Better

Before you dismiss this one hear me out! I would take the same approach I recommended in #2 Get in Shape and Get Active. Meaning, don’t go on a diet!! That sounds laborious, boring, and frankly miserable, right? It feels like more work and we already do too much of that. What I am advocating is:

Think about what you put in your body

You can either go all out or do something new (like me). I can’t believe I am saying this, but I am trying a plant-based meal plan in 2020. I LOVE STEAK, SEAFOOD, and basically MEAT so to do this 100% isn’t realistic. That said, I am looking to achieve about 80% or more success here. If I tried to go 100% then I predict that I would fail and eventually stop doing it. But if I commit to making a change with any improvement being a success then there is no reason to stop doing it. Something less extreme would be:

• Drink more water
• Reduce portions 20%
• Eat more vegetables
• Reduce sugar
• Whatever you order while eating out just cut in half and bring the other ? home for leftovers
• Start using a meal plan once or twice a week (i.e. Hello Fresh, Blue Apron, Home Chef, etc.)

Top 10 Pre-Made Meal Companies

#9 Work on Life Doctrine

Part of my process is that I sit down on the first Saturday of a new month and look back at the previous month. I mentioned this above with the Net Worth Spreadsheet. Another thing I do during that time is review my Life Doctrine. What the heck is a Life Doctrine you might ask?? Here is the formal definition:

Doctrine (from Latin: doctrina, meaning "teaching", "instruction" or "doctrine") is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the essence of teachings in a given branch of knowledge or in a belief system. The etymological Greek analogue is "catechism".

I WILL INCLUDE the form I use ON A POST LATER THIS WEEK. This is something you will want to read, think about, and spend some time on. It will change a little over time, but the important thing is that you:

1.      Write it down

2.      Revisit it

3.      Focus on aligning with it and living your best life

#10 The 5 Hour Rule

Spend 5 hours a week on deliberate learning. The 5-hour rule involves spending five hours a week, or one hour each working day, focused on deliberate learning. This means setting aside time to give your full attention to learning and development, without getting distracted by other work. This learning can take different forms and a mix of these will give you the most well-rounded experience.

Reading, Reflection, Experimentation, Don’t Confuse Working With Learning, Focus On Improvement, and Not Just Productivity

I STRIVE TO BRING MORE VALUE AND OVERACHIEVE, SO I HAVE ONE MORE FOR YOU

#11……………Tom Sadowski, my father and guest author, has shared his best advice for succeeding in the New Year.

#11 Be mindful of your attitude and behavior

Attitude informs behavior and vice versa. What’s your personal narrative that undercuts yourself?

If you tell yourself you are bad at talking to people, then guess what? You’re right. Change your behavior with a conversation starter. My two favorites are:

How’d you end up doing what you’re doing now? and

Where did you grow up?

The key is not you talking; it’s getting someone else to talk. Try it and maybe your attitude becomes “not only am I good at talking to people, but I enjoy it”.

A related thought. I’ll believe it when I see it is a common phrase but flipping it around says so much more. I’ll see it when I believe it. How often do we ignore what we see because we don’t believe it? 

Happy holidays everyone and thanks for reading. I hope you all have a “Blow Your Hair Back” 2020!!