What if this was your best year ever?
Some questions that might shift everything
Welcome to a new week!
Thanks for being here! Last week, we talked about the starting line and how New Year’s Eve feels a bit like the corral at the beginning of a race. The energy. The hype. The anticipation.
Now, a week later, we are over the starting line, and already the reality of the finish line and what it’s going to take to get there is starting to set in.
Are you feeling that?
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INVITATION
This year, we did New Year’s Eve a little differently at our house. A few months ago, my friend Letty reached out and asked if I’d like to join her at an event with Brendon Burchard in Los Angeles on New Year’s Day.
Brendon Burchard is the world’s #1 high performance coach, a 3-time New York Times bestselling author, and one of the most-watched, quoted, and followed motivational speakers in history.
Brendon is someone I have followed for at least a decade. I’ve read his books. Watched his videos. I’ve learned a lot from him over the years.
Last year, I had the chance to hear him in person for the first time at a conference and was really impressed with how truly skilled he is at delivering a powerful message to his audience. I knew spending New Year’s Day in a room with him would be a fantastic way to start the year.
My friend Letty is someone I met on Instagram about three years ago. We had never actually met in person. She lives in Hawaii. I am in California. So, this would be a chance for us to spend the day together in real life.
Driving up to L.A. on New Year’s Day would mean I had to be up at 4:30 am. So, that meant going to bed early on New Year’s Eve. No parties. No watching the ball drop. My husband and I had a New Year’s toast around 7:30 pm and were in bed by 8 pm.
All that said, I am so glad I said yes to the invitation because it turned out to be an incredible way to start the year. And, I have two key takeaways to share with you that just might help you have your best year yet.
We all start the year with good intentions. Most of us have areas in our lives that we would like to improve. Health. Relationships. Finances. Career.
My husband and I are really good at writing these down each year and establishing routines and tasks to help move us in that direction. Some we achieve. Some we don’t. And, it’s always interesting to look at what sticks and what doesn’t.
Why are some goals such a struggle while others magically come together?
What can we do to struggle less with our goals and move the needle more?
PEOPLE
You’ve heard it said that “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with” or “show me your friends and I'll show you your future.”
It’s so true. Not because our friends are not supporting us (although sometimes that might be true), but because there is an identity and an expectation attached to who we are around those people.
Have you ever traveled alone or gone to a conference or event alone where you had the opportunity to just be fully yourself without any of those expectations? Most of us don’t get the chance to do that often enough.
The New Year’s Day event I went to reminded me of this. Surrounding yourself with like-minded people - that you don’t know - is a great way to remember who you really are. It pulls you out of your environment so you can see your own boundaries a little more clearly. We should all do that more often.
I don’t know that many people who would give up their New Year’s Eve and go to bed at 8 pm so they could wake up at 4:30 am on New Year’s Day and drive a few hours to an all-day personal development conference with someone they met online three years ago.
But clearly, that’s the kind of gal I am.
And, so is Letty.
It was super cool that neither Letty or I felt like this was our first time meeting each other. We were instantly like old friends - which is a testament to how you can build real and very valuable relationships online.
The point is, you are who you hang out with. And, you hang out with who you are. So, if you want to change some aspect of yourself or your life, take a look at who you spend your time with and start to explore how you can bring more people into your life who enjoy doing the crazy things you like to do.
If you made that your only goal this year, it would be your best year ever.
PURPOSE
One of the key principles that Brendon Burchard shared with us that day was the architecture behind goals.
We spend a lot of our time focused on goals that are actually just tasks, not true goals.
Then we lay out a plan to build new habits to complete those tasks more consistently.
The problem is that we don’t spend enough time focused on WHY we want that thing in the first place. What is the desire behind that goal? What will it do for us? How will it improve who we are or how we show up in the world?
We all want to be a better version of ourselves. (Okay, maybe not everyone wants this, but if you’re reading this right now, I think it’s safe to say YOU do.)
You might even want to be the BEST version of yourself.
How would it feel to show up as the best version of yourself with more frequency and intensity? What would it take?
What if you zoomed out on your goals and looked at the WHY a bit more?
This is something I will be doing as I review my goals from last year and as I lay out my goals for 2024. Where did I drop the ball? Where did I make great strides? Which goals were attached to showing up as the best version of myself?
What if my only goal this year was to summon the best version of myself - every day?
If I did that, it would be the best year ever. Don’t you think?
PLAN
My husband and I always do some life-planning in January. We have a day set aside to review our overall goals and make adjustments where necessary. It’s also a time to recommit to the values we share and make sure the things on the calendar actually line up with those values and the direction we want to go.
This year, I will be adding another layer to our conversation based on these insights from my New Year’s Day event.
How can we summon the best version of ourselves with more frequency and intensity? And, who will we attract into our lives that wants the same?
I think the answer to those two questions is where the best year ever is waiting for all of us.
YOUR MISSION:
This week, I challenge you to summon your best self before you get out of bed in the morning. It sounds weird, but give it a try. I’ve been practicing this myself all week and it’s been pretty powerful. Before you get out of bed, take a moment to be grateful to have another chance to practice bringing the best version of yourself to the day.
We don’t always get it right and it’s not always easy, but with practice, we do get a lot better at it. And, I’m telling you, the day goes so much differently when we are intentional about bringing our best version to it. Give it a try!
RESOURCES:
READ: Why goal setting needs to change after 50. | The LIFT
READ: Resolve to resolve | The LIFT
WATCH: We matter
IN SUMMARY:
Whether you are a planner or not, giving yourself something aspirational to move toward is always a good thing.
This week I shared a big goal I have with my friends and family and I’d LOVE to have your support, too.
I have the opportunity to be included in an advocacy trip to Washington D.C. with one of the brands I work with - Beautycounter.
As advocates, we will be shining a light on the Safer Beauty Bill Package by meeting with legislators from every state on Capitol Hill. We have been working on this for years and this might be the year we get this important legislation passed.
Every purchase made through my affiliate link now thru February adds points to my chance to earn an invitation. So, you can be part of getting me there just by doing some of your shopping with me.
Click here to learn a little more and feel free to message me directly if you have questions or want to partner up with me in a bigger way for this.
I can not do it without you! So, treat yourself to some clean swaps and thank you in advance for helping make the personal care industry a little safer for everyone!
See you next week?
Meanwhile, reach out to me anytime!
Karen Friend Smith
Certified Health Coach & Environmental Health Specialist
Specializing in Perimenopause & Menopause
karen@itmaybemenopause.com
www.itMayBeMenopause.com
Instagram: @itmaybemenopause
Always love your articles. Yes, working on being my best self.
Another great article Karen!!❤️ I know how passionate you are about Beautycounter. I hope you get to go to DC. D👍❤️