1-2-3 STRETCH
Just like that, February is a wrap.
Congratulations. Here we are. You’ve survived your trial subscription of 2023.
Depending on what deal you got or the promo code that you used, the frugal and the skeptics may already be well into a second free trial from an alternate fake account. No judgment, tis the lifecycle of a subscription service. Churn, churn, churn.
Back to you and 2023...by now, you’ve likely decided whether or not this year is for you or not.
If you’ve found that it is not going as you'd desired, then hopefully you’ve identified what is not making this feel like your year and what changes you need to make in order to set yourself up for success.
Nothing can, nor should prevent you from getting to where you want to be, unless you allow it–health issues notwithstanding. Our mind can sometimes turn against us as well, but we are always in the driver's seat. A mind is a powerful thing, I'd say it's the world's most powerful weapon, and always better when it is used for good not evil.
Our minds are so powerful that it can cause or stop wars, solve the biggest problems, or cure diseases so do yourself a favor and don't use it against yourself. I'm guilty of interrupting the power of my own brain with monkeybrain syndrome myself and know most of you suffer from this as well--at least most people that I know.
One thing is for certain, what you were doing in the past is likely not going to work now–as I’d written previously, this year is about having a very “real” perspective and a sober outlook, if you want to move not only forward, but towards a fruitful and successful year–whatever success means to you, as we all should have our own definition for that word–not allowing others to set that bar for us as we are all on different journeys.
Regardless of how productive or not you have been these first two months, we’ve all got ten more months to turn 2023 around and by now we all know that it usually only takes 9 months to birth something.
And so it’s time for a good S-T-R-E-T-C-H, as it’s always best to stretch before you get your muscles and heartbeat going.
It’s time for a good “stretch goal.” Not to be confused with a “push gift”--that’s something entirely different, but if you do bring something to life in the next nine months, perhaps you can give yourself one of those too.
In the corporate and quasi-corporate world, “stretch goals” are just part of the “inside baseball” lingo. A buzzy term used to extort the best work out of employees. Yet, in all honesty it’s a good practice that we can all adopt personally.
How will you stretch yourself this year? How will you go above and beyond your standard routine or out of your comfort zone in order to level up or or grow in the area of your choosing.
A stretch goal is all about vocalizing or writing down one goal that you commit to meeting or at the very least attempt to meet.
The goal does not have to be materialistic, nor career-related. It can also be one tied to personal growth, personal relationships, or something that will ultimately benefit others.
A stretch goal also reminds us that we should not settle.
It is up to each of us how deep we go with our stretch goals. The obvious is applying it to our professional lives or careers. Perhaps you want to hit a specific goal or target, i.e. if you’re a creator hitting 1M subscribers or followers, or maybe it’s leading a new product release or project at work that could potentially gain you a promotion. Or maybe it is battling an addiction or finally leaving someone or many someones that you know is not good for you behind, deciding that it’s time to leave what’s toxic or that continuously hurts you in the past, where they belong. Maybe it’s getting your Masters, PhD, or writing a scientific paper. Perhaps, it is speaking or performing on stage for the first time, directing your first film, or starting your own company. Or even finding a mentor, professional coach, or business partner to collaborate with.
A stretch goal doesn’t need to be life-changing or of huge significance–not everyone wants to be an overachiever, and not everyone feels the need to push themselves to extremes.
The best thing about a stretch goal is that it’s something you choose, not something that is imposed on you. It is not a change you need to make or an action that you need to take.
No one is asking you to make this goal nor commitment. This is all for you. You have a choice to do this or not. This is all about selecting what you want. And that is a beautiful feeling.
No, on the contrary. A stretch goal is something that we want and desire, actions that we want to take, things that we want to do.
A stretch goal should excite you and you should feel motivated to pursue/accomplish it, not weighed down or stressed about meeting it. A stretch goal should make you feel good.
When you envision yourself meeting it, you should feel happiness and a sense of accomplishment (the latter may not come until you actually do accomplish it).
However our 2023 is going, whether good or bad or so-so, we can all benefit from pushing ourselves a little more or at the very least paving new paths and getting closer to all that we envision for ourselves when we hear the word success.
How will you stretch yourself this year?