13 Ways to Soar in 2023

 

Improving your professional results in 2023 might appear to be a heavy task that takes a lot of time. But, in truth, it all starts with a small step in the right direction. Below are thirteen of my favorite tips to help you do just that.

1.     People Have Done More, With Less

Remember this every time you feel like the cards are stacked against you or you don't have what it takes. You not only have the goods, but you most likely have more than what thousands of other successful people had before you. With much less than what we enjoy today, people have created lives of health, wealth, success, and happiness.

2.   Build the Muscle

Taking action is like a muscle; it's a skill that must be built and strengthened over time.
So start to build it today. Start small. Set mini-goals for yourself, small tasks you can do in just a few minutes. Then, when the time comes to do something truly important, the habit of action you need will be there, ready to move you.

3.  Strike When the Iron is Hot

Often, the moment bursting with the most drive and excitement is in the beginning, when a goal or idea first comes to mind.Your juices are flowing. Your mind is spinning with possibilities. A better life is just around the corner.

This is when you need to get moving. Right that instant. When the idea comes to you, take a step toward fulfilling it. Putting it off will only let that energy fade away.

4.   Get Angry

It might sound strange, but getting angry about where you are is actually a very good thing. It's only when we get upset about something that we feel any motivation to change it. If you're not mad that it's broken, why bother fixing it?

Don't lose hope if you feel unsettled and unhappy with a part of your life. That's a good sign, a sign that you're getting ready to make a change.

5.     Raise Your Standards

We don't often defy our standards. If you're not the type of person who smokes, you can't imagine falling into the habit. It's just not who you are or who see yourself to be. Take that idea and inject it into the rest of your goals.

No matter what you want, begin to think of yourself as someone who simply makes it happen. As you begin to raise your standards and see yourself as the person you hope to become, it will be harder and harder to procrastinate or back down from fear. It's just not who you are.

Right about now you might be saying to yourself, 'Getting motivated sounds great, but what if I don't know what I want to get motivated to do? What if I don't know what I really want?'
This is one of the most important questions you'll ever ask, but if you're like most people, the answers you need are difficult to find.

However, there is a solution. There is actually a proven method to tapping into your unique path to happiness and uncovering all of your goals, dreams, and true purpose in life.

6.   Gather Your Personal Motivators
What books motivate you? What movies inspire you? What people, places, or things make you want to do the things you say you want to do?

We all have them, though few people take the time to identify in particular what they are. Go a step further. Don’t merely name the things that motivate you-- gather them into one place and create a motivation station of sorts.

When you find something that excites or inspires you, you've found gold. You can't let that slip to the side. You need to capture it so you can return to it whenever you need hope, encouragement, or confidence.

7.      Motivate Others

When you help others, they will in turn be helping you. If a friend or family member is in need of a little motivation, make it your personal goal to help them achieve success. Motivating your friend will help you to learn about motivation from an entirely different viewpoint.

8.     Write Out Your Excuses

Make a written list of the reasons you normally use for not doing something that you should-or want-to do. Consider each area of your life: your job, your family, your money, your health, etc.

If you're not working as diligently as you should be, what's your reason?

Next to each item on your list, brainstorm for solutions. For example, if you wrote down that you put off your goal because you have a full-time job, you could write that you still have five to six hours per night to work on your tasks after work. If you're smart enough to come up with these excuses, you're smart enough to tear them apart.

9.    Make it a Game

We are hardwired to meet a challenge. So when you have to complete some simple task or project, make it a game. This will reframe the situation from a dreaded job to a personal competition. Have to clean the house? See if you can do it in under two hours. Need to write that report? Finish a paragraph before the next commercial break.

10.  Get Organized

Plain and simple: A cluttered desk or home or office makes for a cluttered mind.
Get clear. Get focused. Get organized.

You'll create a state of mind that is not only relieved from all the clutter but also ready for action.

11.  Discomfort, Anyone?

Do something that makes you uncomfortable at least once a week. Once a day if you're ambitious. Eleanor Roosevelt echoed this sentiment when she remarked, “Do at least one thing everyday that scares you.”

Why?

Because most of our goals push us to do things we don't normally do, to say things we don't normally say. That can be scary, so most people don't do it.

But if you force yourself into uncomfortable situations (talking to a stranger, for instance), you'll get good at pushing past your comfort zone. You'll also realize the world doesn't end when you do the things that scare you.

Check out a related post: Stretching Outside Your Comfort Zone

12.  Who Did This?

You're unique, no question about it. Even so, I have a feeling someone out there has been in your shoes. They shared your struggle and your dream, and they found a way.

Instead of reinventing the wheel and going at this alone, why not reach out to those people and find out how they did it?

If you want to improve your health, reach out to someone who already did it. If you want to start a business, email an entrepreneur. If you want to love your job, find someone who changed careers and adores the new direction.

You'll get two immediate rewards. First, you'll realize that you're not alone. There are other people out there just like you. Second, you'll learn how to actually achieve your goal, not through guesswork or hunches, but through actual proof.

13.  Get It in Writing

I used to keep everything in my head. To-do lists, business ideas, schedules...everything I thought of or about squeezed its way into an already crowded space.

And it drove me crazy.

I was constantly going through mental lists, making sure I wasn't missing something important. Then I decided to empty my head of it all. I typed it into the computer and felt instant relief and clarity.

If your head is swirling with thoughts and ideas, write them all down on paper or record them all onto your computer.

In the words of a 1992 En Vogue song, “Free your mind and the rest will follow.

With every best wish,

Peter Mclees, Leadership Coach, Trainer and Performance Consultant
SMART DEVELOPMENT

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