I’m never been a fan of New Year’s Resolutions. And for good reason – the statistics are staggering – I read a study that claimed only 8% of the population ever achieves their resolutions and most have abandoned them entirely by February.
One of my favorite comedians, Brian Regan, once boasted during a late December show:
“My New Year’s Resolution was to lose 10 lbs. And with two weeks left in the year I only have 25 lbs. to go!”
It’s been my experience that Standards > Resolutions.
I recommend you commit to New Year’s Standards. Standards that you, and the people that love you, will hold you accountable to… day in and day out. Standards… that if upheld… will give you the outcomes you desire.
Now, I believe standards are individual and personal. So it’s certainly not my place to set your standards. That needs to come from you.
But what I will do is offer you 8 challenges. Challenges that I hope inspire and empower you to take immediate action and improve your mindset, habits and productivity, which will in turn help you lead a happier, more fulfilled and more significant life.
These are in no particular order… and feel free to tweak as needed!
2021 Challenge #1: set aside 15 minutes every day to read something motivational or educational. You won’t be successful or happy if you stop growing. And don’t say you don’t have the time to read. Make the time.
2021 Challenge #2: closely study another industry or vocation to improve a very specific skill set For example, I study both stand-up comedy and hip-hop music to improve my timing, rhythm, and delivery as a public speaker.
2021 Challenge #3: replace all talk radio and music with a podcast when you are in the car. Save your music for when you work out. Use all commuting time to learn something! You can start with my podcast, The Raise Your Game Show!
2021 Challenge #4: avoid email and social media for the first 30 minutes when you wake up and the last 30 minutes before you got to sleep. It’s been proven that email and social media can have a major effect on your mood. Don’t ever grant anyone that type of power over you.
2021 Challenge #5: create, review, and prioritize the work you plan to do the following day every night before you go to bed. Let your subconscious mind make some progress while you sleep. It will help give you clarity and a head start the following morning.
2021 Challenge #6: create a standard morning routine. Create a system that helps you win the morning. When you win the morning, you will almost always dominate your day. Don’t worry so much about mimicking someone else’s routine, fine tune what works best for you!
2021 Challenge #7: sit in complete silence (no phones, tablets computers or TV) for 15 minutes every single day. You don’t have to meditate necessarily… but just be present and focus on your thoughts.
2021 Challenge #8: take a ‘Digital Detox’ (no electronics of any kind) for at least one day, a full 24 hours, each month… with the goal of increasing that to once a week. Aim to cut your screen time in half.
I give you my word that if you accept these 8 challenges and use them to create your own personalized list of standards, it will literally change your life in 2021.
Thanks for letting me play a role in your journey…
