How to Make 2017 Your Best Year Ever!

How do you make 2017 your best year ever? I know I’m a bit early writing about making 2017 a great year. Here’s what I discovered.  If you invest in the final quarter of 2016, you are well on your way to an incredible and prosperous 2017.

The first strategy to make 2017 your best year ever is to become a better manager of your time and resources. We are all busy and getting busier. Learn to take control of your time. Stop wasting your time on low payoff activities. Learn to say no. Know when to say yes. These three simple ideas can help you make you more effective and productive.

The second strategy to make 2017 your best year ever is to begin learning a new skill. There are so many ways to get additional training there is no reason you shouldn’t be adding new skills on a regular basis. Commit to an e course, read a new book in your area of expertise or interview someone who’s who doing what you want with their life. Personal growth makes life more enjoyable.

The third strategy to make 2017 your best year ever is to take control of your emotions. It’s easy to be emotional today. We are exposed to news 24 hours a day, seven days a week. People are getting by with less sleep. Many of us feel like we have no control of our lives.

Take up a new hobby. Begin a meditation or prayer practice. Learn how to manage your emotions by better understanding what your hot buttons are. Learn how to appreciate others’ opinions.

The fourth strategy to make 2017 your best year ever is to update your resume.  Take time to update your resume. Review you recent successes. Decide if what you’re doing is providing you with the kind of opportunities you want and need to grow.  People who aren’t growing are slowly dying.

When was the last time you had time to use your strengths in your career? Are you helping others grow? When was the last time someone thanked you for the contribution you made to their life? You spend one third of your life or more at work. You spend more time at work than almost any other activity than sleep. If you’re not sleeping your work day can seem very long.

The fifth strategy to make 2017 your best year ever is to take on a new challenge. Be willing to get more comfortable in the uncomfortable. Review your priorities. What should you do that will improve your life the most dramatically?  What one challenge, if taken on, could transform your life? Now let’s get started!

Finally, the best way to make 2017 your best year ever is to be thankful in 2016. Appreciation makes positive things happen. Learn to be appreciate what you have. Understand that you’re destined for greater things. Appreciate all the special people in your life.  Appreciate the little things people do to provide you a better life. Be true to yourself.

Why did I write this today? We reached another milestone here at Market Leadership Journal. We have had over 130,000 readers on our site since its founding. This is the way I celebrate!

I have a friend who was 25 years old get up to go to a meeting and she didn’t make it home. She was living her dreams. Her life was beginning to go her way. She knew she was loved! She died in a tragic car crash. It decimated her friends, coworkers, and community. Her passing reminded me of the things we take for granted. Don’t take things for granted.  None of us are guaranteed a 2017.

See you next week.