
Yesterday I sent you an email without a subject line. oops.
I’ve made a lot of mistakes this year.
Here are some you can learn from and how I’m personally tackling them in 2017:
Not thinking big enough
I’ve directly helped 187 businesses this year and engaged with 5x that. While significant it’s a tiny number. Next year I will impact and help 1000 business owners grow sustainable, impactful businesses that they love and serve them and their families.
Not packaging my content
I’ve never regretted a single word I’ve typed. People tell me they took something valuable from things I created years ago. I have created over 180,000 words this year which is 3-4 books worth. Creating isn’t enough, packaging content so you can consume it and take action from it will be my priority. Expect a new book.
Putting myself into the equation too often
Whether it’s my program, consulting or my services businesses I am engaged for a result. Too often in 2016 I became an informational and delivery bottleneck. Results were achieved but I slowed them down. To fix this I am about to launch a new content portal for the program and add more resources to the business. Paradoxically, sometimes the biggest asset can become a short term liability.
Not being obsessed
I believe the concept of balance is nonsense. If you try and balance things you end up in the middle. Average and only partly committed. If you’re not obsessed with something you wont succeed at it. This year I was obsessed with growing my business. I was obsessed with my family. But sometimes I didn’t make the complete switch. Pick up my phone and check emails while I’m with my son or daughter. Typing a message while having a conversation with my wife. From now I’m going to be obsessed with what’s in front of me.
Not doing enough video
Video is a huge competitive advantage. If you’re prepared to put yourself on camera you will reap serious rewards in engagement, trust and attention – especially if its live. I did some but haven’t developed a ‘video habit’. I will be investing serious time and $$ in 2017 in producing more video.
More in person
People love attending my workshops and events. They get energy, inspiration and mine are uniquely actionable. I love running them and teaching live forces me to think quickly and accelerates my own learning. I did a few in 2016 but will do a lot more in 2017. Watch out for events in NZ in Jan/Feb/March, Australia in Apr/May and USA in Jun/Jul.
Not saying no enough
Bad projects, bad attitudes, bad businesses and bad ideas. I said yes to all of those during the course of 2016. 2017 is the year of F*&k Yes or No. There is no middle ground.
Not sharpening the saw
This year has been a huge year of personal and financial growth. My biggest ever. But I’ve regularly deprioritised two areas – my mind and my body. While I’m fit and strong I can barely touch my toes. Sometimes I push too far through discomfort into overwhelm and this is not where I function well. Simple fix is that my 5-6 am time will be back to Headspace and ROMWOD to start the day.
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realise, the less I know.”
― Michel Legrand
What are your lessons for 2016 and what changes are you making for 2017?