Start the Year Off Right: Setting Success in Motion for 2023

First of all, let me start off by saying Happy New Year! We have officially started a new cycle and my prayer for you is that 2023 will be the greatest year of your life. As I delivered a keynote on the first day of the new year, I spoke about how a new calendar with old habits often leads to the same toxic cycles in our lives. I want you to understand that how you start this cycle will ultimately determine how you complete this cycle. Therefore, I want you to start this year with a clear vision and clear intentions. I hope these insights will empower you to make the adjustments that will empower you to live your dreams and realize your greatest potential.

1. Be sure to handle all unfinished business. Unfortunately, many people cross over into a new year still bound by toxic thoughts and toxic emotions. I want you to spend some time addressing lingering thoughts and destructive emotions that have the potential to steal your peace and stifle your potential in 2023 and beyond. Unfinished business ultimately wants to unravel your life. What you refuse to say goodbye to will always be a barrier to your growth and development. With that said, take some time to examine your heart and make sure that you are starting this year with a clean slate. Refuse to allow baggage to rob you of the opportunity to become more and to do more with your life. At the end of the day, we do not have the ability to undo the past but we do have the power to own the present moments of our lives. Do not allow old chapters to oppose the change that you want to create for your life in 2023!
2. You need to set clear goals for this year. While many people are making resolutions, I have never been a big fan of setting resolutions. First of all, I have seen people set resolutions for years only to get to the end of the year with regrets and goals never accomplished. Why is that? Many people think that resolutions automatically guarantee results. What I know from years of personal experience is that a new calendar is not magic. Unless you are willing to commit to shifting your paradigm, making different choices, and honoring your commitments you will continue to create cycles of frustration and failure. As someone that has been so blessed to achieve success in life, I know that my success can largely be attributed to setting clear goals. Resolutions often do not work because they are based on emotions and not consistent actions and key measurements. In other words, resolutions are largely based on fleeting emotions and not making lifestyle changes. Goals are powerful because they move us from the realm of conceptualization to action. More importantly, goals make concrete what once only existed as a concept in our imaginations. Goals empower us to order our days, arrange our activities and prioritize the moments of our lives. Spend some time writing a vision for your personal life, professional life, financial life, health, and spiritual life. Your goals will direct your activities and ultimately determine the productivity of your life. Ideas in your head that you never formulate into a clear vision on paper will only produce more disappointment and defeat. Goals give you focus and ultimately fuel your achievement and advancement.
3. You need to simplify your goals into action steps. As a highly respected thought leader, I have the privilege of training and empowering leaders around the world to fulfill purpose and realize their greatest potential. As I have worked with leaders over the years, many of them have asked me how I have been able to consistently reach my goals and achieve success in life. While I always tell them that having a clear vision is key, I also tell them that I take goal setting to another level. Not only do I write out my goals and intentions for the year, but I also take the time to simplify my goals and turn them into actionable steps that can deliver consistent results in my life. In other words, I take each goal one by one and I write down the exact action steps that I need to take daily, weekly, and monthly in order to see goal manifestation in my life. Many people write down their goals; however, they never formulate their goals into actionable steps to make their goals attainable. Spend some time this week simplifying your goals and writing the precise action steps that you need to take in order to see your goals manifest. This powerful practice has served me well for years and it will do the same for you. I have helped leaders around the world implement this system and they have experienced extraordinary results.
4. Understand that it is impossible to create a different year without commitment. As I have looked over social media in the last twenty-four hours, I have seen so many catchphrases and cliches, and resolutions being posted. However, what I know for sure is that it will take more than cliches and slogans to change your life this year. If you want this year to be different, then you are going to have to understand the power of commitment. From years of work, I have learned that commitment not only changes the direction of our lives. Ultimately, commitment will define the disciplines of our lives. What you create in 2023 will be the product of what you are willing to commit to. At the end of the day, we are all committed to something. Some people are committed to mediocrity. Others are committed to excuses. On the other hand, there is a select group of individuals that are committed to excellence. Those that know me best know that I hold myself to high standards and I demand excellence in all of my pursuits. What I have learned from decades of experience is that you do not get in life what you wish for or even hope for. Every chapter of your life is defined by what you are willing to commit to. What are you willing to commit to in 2023? Will you commit to growth and development? Will you commit to your goals? Will you commit to being consistent in the actions that will move your life forward? When we arrive at the end of 2023, your results will be determined by the commitments you kept.