New Year, Same Me!

My general rule is you can say HNY until the end of the 1st week in January, then that is it for the year. Sorry - I'm breaking my own rule: Happy New Year! Just like my new year wishes, this article post is also slightly delayed too, I intended to write it between Christmas and NY, but like anything worth doing, it's worth doing properly! So below is the full article post but first a proper happy new year to you all - if you haven't seen this video yet, take a quick look...

I wanted to use this post as a 'goals for 2020'. However, I'm not promising myself any 'new year, new me' wholesale changes like a vegan diet or a health kick, I'm fairly happy with myself heading into 2020, but what I do want to do is make my goals bigger!

I actually dislike the whole, holding off until a new year to make changes. If you wait, all that happens is you lose time. So in December whilst many were winding down, I geared up for a quick sprint of work in my Utility Warehouse business. Following an honest 1-2-1 conversation, I was spurred to push myself for a Partner position within my grasp. It could easily have become a 2020 target, but I made the decision to make it happen over a few days, rather than holding off any longer. It wasn't easy, but it has proven worth it!

It basically paid for Christmas with the promotion bonus payment, myself and mentor Rob also hit up go-karting one afternoon to celebrate (he did pip me in both races, the closest by 1/2 a second) and it has now given me great confidence going into the new year, even ahead of our Kick-Off event this coming weekend.

After ticking this off and before signing off the year, I had a great weekend of lacrosse coaching with the England U19's to prepare for and a coaching team social to attend! So many of the skills learnt in business transfer through to sport and I think it's so underplayed. I might have to do something properly on this topic in the near future.

I'm not that surprised both groups escaped the rooms, as a coaching team we complement each other well (few notable absences in the pic). We set out a few months ago to test ourselves in different ways, the escape room being one - great fun, highly recommend and you might learn a thing or 2 about yourself/yourselves, we did.

Back to the goals setting. Christmas gave time to look at doing some proper goal-setting, not just a few resolutions - here's a selection of the things that I came up with:

Long-term: have a home gym/pool/sauna, a box at Old Trafford, own 3+ rentals, sell a business, visit Australia, help 100 people change their lives through my coaching and business work.

Medium-term: attend the coaches convention, grow The UoL to over 250 member-athletes, have an ever-increasing monthly income.

Short-term: finish my level 3 coaching, re-establish fish-tank, hit next Partner position within 12 months, maintain my health, purchase Apple Watch, continue improving my work-life balance.

I feel it is important to regularly set goals, review them (not beat yourself up if you don't hit them) and continually work towards them. Goals change over time as you do and I no longer believe in 'SMART' goals. I feel that within the acronym, setting something achievable and realistic means you begin to operate within your current capability and it doesn't allow for growth. Set big goals anything that comes to mind, share them with your nearest and dearest and work towards them daily.

My 1st goal since leaving employment was to survive. In the 6 months since going self-employed, I have done this. But I really should have been aiming to thrive, a bigger greater goal, with bigger greater rewards.

Here's to 2020 - more of the same and more. New Year, Same Me, Bigger Goals.

Let me know in the comments what you are working towards and how you're going to go about it!