Life Lesson

Right about now is the time of year that folks start to feel more frustrated with the habits they’ve formed (or didn’t form) with the new year.

For whatever reason, we feel more exposed to external reasons to start a new, healthy habit of some sort.

Places are beginning to open up again. The weather is turning. School is in full swing. A new relationship has started or we’re gung-ho on starting one soon. We have an upcoming trip planned. We just feel the need to change something up and have some control in our lives.

The list can go on.

Personally, I don’t like to think of new habits as life changes, I think of them as 30 days of discomfort because it takes that long for a new habit to be formed.

And just like there is an endless list of stories we can tell about why we want to incorporate the new habit into our lives, we sure come up with a lot of stories about why it’s hard during those first 30 days.

But after the 30?

It’s not discomfort anymore. It’s normal.

Stay Positive & 30 Days To A Better You

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A challenge: For the rest of the year, write down one new habit per month that you want to develop. Nine 30-day stretches to absolutely shape your life in new was.

First, there’s no reason not to reach out to every relevant podcast and pitch yourself. Reach out to blogs and influencers and brands and pitch yourself.

By all means, give getting picked a chance.

Best case scenario you get selected and you refine the story you’re telling through all of your pitching.

Worst case scenario is you get to choose yourself and you already have your story refined from telling it through all of your pitching.

When the podcasts don’t pick you up. Start one.

When the blogs, influencers and brands don’t choose you. Choose yourself by creating one, becoming one, building one.

Stay Positive & Choose Yourself

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People know what you did to. It’s part of your story. It’s tangible; they can see what you did.

But they often forget what you didn’t do – and knowing what you didn’t do makes your story stronger.

It’s a list you have to intentionally share.

Who are you not targeting? Why didn’t you do it X way instead? What shortcut was available to you that you skipped in lieu of being in it for the long haul?

What you are is as important to share is what you’re not.

Stay Positive & Keep Sharing

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There’s a quick way to gauge whether you’re personally making an impact somewhere, and it’s to answer one question: Would you be missed if you were gone?

It’s different than “could they still do what needs to be done without you?” because that answer should be yes. Rather, missing you if you were gone hints at the value you’re adding and the legacy you’re creating.

But what about gauging the impact of the work itself? Well that’s a similar question: Is it remarkable?

Remarkable as in the the guarantee that people will talk about it once you ship it? Remarkable as in is it designed to be shared? Remarkable as in is it worth remarking about?

If you wouldn’t be missed if you were gone, then it’s time to step it up.

If the work won’t be talked about once it’s out in the world, then it’s time to step it up.

Stay Positive & Step By Step, Really

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We often hold off on making a change we should until others notice… and speak up.

The grocer doesn’t remove the old blueberries until a guest speaks up about how old they look or how the one they picked up has mold on it.

The teacher doesn’t work on her health until one of her kindergarten students does what a kindergarten student does – state, out loud, what they see.

The author doesn’t do the hard work of paying a real proofer until someone calls them out for some formatting and spelling errors.

The problem is that there are plenty that notice and not enough that will speak up to us, for us.

Rather, we have to speak up for ourselves.

Not only that, but it’s better we speak up for ourselves sooner than it would take others to notice.

To act before we really need to act.

Stay Positive & Toss The Blueberries Before Anyone Notices

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If you’re ever unsure where to start, begin with the truth.

The truth of how the people you are trying to reach see the world.

The language they use. The perspective they carry. The opinions they hold tightly.

It’s easy to get lost in the story you want to tell.

It’s difficult to land in the story they want to hear.

But worth it. And it starts with the truth.

Stay Positive & Listen And Learn

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Will it have been a selfless act?

Will it be something you feel proud of?

Will it be customized to the right audience?

Will it be for some instead of everyone?

Fun thing is that you don’t need to wait until an action you take is in the past to look back at it.

It’s a great way to evaluate whether or not to do something; whether it’s legacy-worthy or not.

Stay Positive & Use Your Brain Power

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