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S O M E T H I N G I W R O T E
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Do you want to know what is equally as important—if not more important—as starting strong? Finishing strong, that's what.
Robin Sharma said, "Starting strong is good. Finishing strong is epic."
As we wrap up another year, there is a ton of chatter about our goals and aspirations for 2017. Don't get me wrong, I'm right there with the best of them planning and strategizing for an amazing year. This is a good thing. My point is this—a runner who starts a race super well but ends poorly will lose the race. It's as simple as that.
Our lack of finishing strong is the primary reason all gyms are full for the first 3 weeks of January but are fairly empty by Groundhog Day. It is why so many don a positive attitude for the first month or two of the year but begin to live in shame (again) by the beginning of Spring. It is also why our to-do lists are a mile long on January 1 and are still a mile long on April 1.
Let's not do this all over again, OK? Instead, let's take a long, hard look at this past year.
Have you left anything unfinished that you need to complete?
Are there any fractured relationships you need to focus on mending before the year is over?
Have you looked at the goals you set for this year that weren't completed and figured out why you didn't complete them?
Are there people that helped you get through this year (e.g. a mentor, a coach, a friend, a spouse, etc) that you need to thank?
There are a hundred questions just like this that we must ask of ourselves. I won't rehearse them all right now but you get the picture.
If you finish strong, you'll have more energy and momentum for the beginning of next year. If you do not finish strong, you'll take baggage (e.g. thoughts, fears, insecurities, etc) into next year that will weigh you down and hold you back from fulfilling your purposes.
What's your vision for your life? What is your purpose? Why do you do what you do? If you don't have clear answers to these questions, you'll find it hard to finish strong and to finish well. You won't have a desire to wrap things up and plan for the coming year if you don't have mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual clarity as to who you are, what you're doing, and why you're doing it. Ralph Marston said, "Start strong, finish strong, stay strong, and finish strong by remembering why you're doing it in the first place."
My friends, there are people to love, businesses to start, work to do, & beautiful things to create in this next year. So, let's finish strong. Let's finish well. If you do, you'll find it much easier to crush it in this next year.
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S O M E T H I N G S W O R T H S H A R I N G
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1. If you have little ones—specifically 2-5 years old—they need to watch Super Why! on Netflix. Our kids rarely watch TV but we let them watch this show fairly often because they learn so much from it! You'll thank me when your 3 year old learns to read and write from watching this show.
2. Buy your 2017 calendar from my friends at NeuYear. I use it every year. It's incredibly helpful!
3. Chance the Rapper was on SNL this past weekend. In the words of Tyler Huckabee, "2016 did not deserve this dude." I wholeheartedly agree.
4. Rainn Wilson—you know, Dwight from The Office—tweeted about my podcast the other day. With that kind of an endorsement, you should listen to it every week:)
5. Two of my favorite, spooky-smart podcast hosts—Tim Ferriss & James Altucher—got together for a two-part interview that lasted about 3 hours. Don't look at me that way. 3 hours isn't that long. If you don't listen to this interview, you'll probably just watch several episodes of The Office for the 50th time. Listen to Part 1 & Part 2.
6. If you have 45 minutes to spare, I recommend you read this 17,000 word essay from Ta-Nehisi Coates called My President Was Black. It is beautifully written and we can all appreciate so much about this piece, no matter where you are on the political spectrum.
7. My brother filmed my friends singing Winter Wonderland. It's wonderful!
8. A very short, but impactful piece from Jason Fried on work ethic. Please read this important piece!
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S O M E T H I N G T O T H I N K A B O U T
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I've been pondering some beautiful truths from the brilliant Søren Kierkegaard. I think you'll find these helpful as we end this year and begin the next:
“Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.”
“It is perfectly true, as philosophers say, that life must be understood backwards. But they forget the other proposition, that it must be lived forwards.”
“To dare is to lose one's footing momentarily. Not to dare is to lose oneself.”
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