Tag: December

It’s not too late to write your great comeback story.

Unlike L.L. Cool J, I love a good comeback story. The kind of story where you thought all was lost. That defeat was imminent. And the small amount of time left was not enough to support the amount of work left to do. We have great examples of these types of comebacks. And they are amongst the most inspiring human stories. Cue Eye of The Tiger.

But good comeback stories are not just written by big-time sports teams. Nor are they just for famous actors and rockstars who once got too deep into drugs or ice cream to remain hot and bookable.

Write Your Own Comeback Story Today

In fact, you can write your own comeback story any day. We all have days when it feels like we don’t get anything accomplished. We get sidetracked at work and don’t feel productive. We don’t get our exercise in. We don’t get much on our to-do list to-done.

But you can always do something valuable late in the day, or evening, or night to save the day. Like Mighty Mouse.

I am frequently surprised by how much I can accomplish in a late-day flurry of activity when I thought a whole day of productivity had been lost. I often sneak in a trip to the gym at 9pm, or I exercise at home as late as 11pm because I still can. I regularly read, write or work late in the evening. This not only helps me keep my commitment to myself, it also helps keep my momentum rollin’. Like Limp Bizkit.

Today is December 1st. This is the beginning of the last month of the year. And if you haven’t been highly productive in 2022 it’s not too late. You still have a full month to work on your goals. You have 31 days to create a new great habit. You have the same time to break a bad habit. You have 4.5 weeks to invest in a bucket list item. You still have time to start a business. To write a book. To plan and book that epic vacation. To start exercising. To go to church. To read a good book. To reconnect with someone you’ve lost. Or to find yourself. So let’s get going.

Key Takeaway

At the end of an unproductive day, week, month or year, let the scarcity of time create a sense of urgency to act. It is not too late. Make great use of your remaining time. The older you get the more you recognize the true value of time. Let those remaining sands in the hourglass inspire your comeback story. Tomorrow you will be thankful you did.

*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.

+For more of the best life lessons I have learned check out my new book, What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? from Ripples Media.

Suddenly it is now or never for your 2020 goals.

You started 2020 with exciting goals to achieve. But the aspirations of New Year’s Day probably feel like a lifetime ago. Whether you set goals specifically for 2020, or goals to achieve in your lifetime, you began the year with something important you wanted to accomplish. If the wild ride that is 2020 has caused goal amnesia, take a moment now to remember your goals for the year. (cue the Jeopardy music…)

It’s go time.

Today is December 1st, and you are down to your last month of 2020. The next 31 days are what you have left to work with to make personal and professional progress this year. Don’t let the remaining time slip away. These are the days to remember. Cause they will not last forever.

Remember, self-imposed deadlines are the key drivers of accomplishment and self-improvement. And as Buddy knows, elf-imposed deadlines are the key drivers of elf-improvement.

Don’t worry if you can’t complete everything in 31 days. A good start is plenty valuable. In fact, the more you can accomplish in the next month, the better you will be positioned for a great 2021.

Things You Can Still Do In December

  • Lose weight
  • Start exercising
  • Read a book
  • Start writing a book
  • Begin a business
  • Create a meetup group
  • Expand your network
  • Look for a new job
  • Volunteer
  • Give Blood (A life goal I accomplished in November.)
  • Learn a new skill ( I just subscribed to Master Class)
  • Develop a new product or service
  • Take a class
  • Learn to ski, skate, scat or ska
  • Improve your business development efforts.
  • Begin to learn a new language
  • Create a plan for your financial security
  • Spend quality time with your family. (Over Thanksgiving my family focused on family game nights again.)
  • Reconnect with an old friend or family member
  • Quit smoking, drinking or drugging (It only takes one day as I wrote about here.)

Pro-gress Tip

Break the goal or project you want to make the most progress on into 31 smaller pieces. Do a little each day. Or break the goal into fewer chunks, depending on what day you first read this post. However, if you are reading this on December 31st I suggest you skip the last 2 paragraphs and get straight to work.

Remember, the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. (I recommend starting with elephant ears covered in powdered sugar and cinnamon.) And the best way to complete your 2020 goals in December is 1/31st at a time.

Key Takeaway

Get going. The rest of the world may use the excuse that the end is near and give up, but the positive procrastinators say It’s Go Time! Don’t let these 31 days slip away. They are your opportunity for progress, change, new beginnings, or completion. It’s not too late to salvage 2020. Let the progress you make over the next 31 days be your holiday gift to yourself.

*If you know someone who could benefit from this message today, please share it with them.