The Right Way to Have a Really Good Year for the Rest of Us

I’ve been saving this one for a long time. I wrote it about this time last year… right before that thing hit that messed everything up. It might even have been a really good year. 

It still sort of works now, and people didn’t want to hear another one about how to, well…

How to Have an Amazing 2020— Simple Strategies for a Better Year Without All the Zest and Zeal

Yes, that was the headline. It’s a mouthful, isn’t it? But it’s inspiring, right?

And I feel the need to do another 2020 2021 post mostly because I feel a couple of things need to be said. Plus, it’s fun to take a peek back in time. Sometimes.

I usually wait until February to plan my year.

Otherwise, I’ve found the whole End-Your-Year-Strong warble, followed by the whole Crush-the-New-Year chorus, tends to be a surefire recipe for disappointment rather than for a really good year.

For me, I’m going for just one goal. That’s my approach. And I’m not burdening myself with the notion that the beginning of the year has anything to do with picking a goal. It’s just another time of the year. You can set a goal for yourself any day, any time.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you should finish the year with just one…

Just tell me how it helps to come up with ten or twelve things when you won’t start most of them until June. Or October. Or December (for close to half of them). Are you feeling the stress?

But that’s the truth (trust me… you’re reading this on the internet), it’s the way most humans attack their goal setting!

So, let’s start with an obvious question… What do you want to accomplish in 2020 2021?

Are you going to hit the ground running and really pound it out?

Well, doesn’t that just sound fabulous? Not really. Not that much.

As you know, there was a lot of attention this last year with the new decade and the whole‘2020’ thing.

Yes, we were guilted into considering the year ahead and mustering all the courage, motivation, and determination to make it the best year possible. Little did we know…

That would be a plan for disaster and disappointment.

C’mon now! It’s 2020 2021 after all. That’s got to inspire you. No?

It’s self-sabotage to get all pumped up and overcommit… to yourself of all people. But, just about every other post on the subject, except this one, of course, will give you the “proven” formula to 5x, 10x, and even 20x your year.

Personally, I’m I was going for 20x… in keeping with the 2020 thing. (I saw that, don’t roll your eyes).

What? Does it make you shake your head and say, “Knock yourself out, overachiever?”

If there’s a point, it’s to not pile it on too high and set yourself up for spirit-numbing disappointment.

Write this one down, you’ll want to remember it,

Year-over-year performance metrics are for big corporations… not for real humans.”

A couple of simple, not profound, but powerful lessons I picked up in the past couple of years are a huge help when confronting the new year.

The first one I learned from internet marketing guru, Jeff Walker. In addition to that marketing thing, he’s also big on mindset. Here goes… (WARNING: It’s not going to knock your socks off).

Be gentle with yourself.”

—Jeff Walker, internet entrepreneur

Or, if you prefer… “Don’t beat yourself up.”

You’re here, right now, where you are today. You’ve done what you’ve done. Whether you knocked it out of the park or feel like you’ve fallen short, there’s absolutely no value in giving yourself a hard time.

You get up, dust yourself off, and take the next step, then the next step, then the next. That’s how it works.

The second one is the underlying theme of a book called Strengthsfinder 2.0 by Tom Rath.

Stop trying to fix your weaknesses and focus on your strengths.”

—Tom Rath, author

As a corporate refugee, every annual performance review I ever had enumerated multiple weaknesses for me to work on the following year. Yes! — That’s how most big companies motivate their people. And that’s a mindset that’s hard to shake after thirty-plus years of mental programming.

So what, if someone else does a particular thing better? Let’s hire them to do that part and you do the part that makes you shine.

Do what you do best and forget the rest.

Did I really say that? So…

Are you looking forward to 2020 2021 as much as I am?

Remember, we want you to have a really good year.

And it’s already February. It’s time to get started because you’ve got some work to do.

Be untucked.

Thanks for dropping by LifeUntucked®. If this post helped you with your goals (um, goal) or at least made you laugh at the whole ritual, think about sharing it with a friend…

Copyright © 2021 Jeff Meister – All Rights Reserved