Two weeks into a new year, and it’s blatantly obvious that 2019 is going to go fast, maybe even faster than the last year if that’s at all possible. Without even realising what’s happening, we can easily end up being a spectator to other people’s success and achievements as we look back at another year and another wasted opportunity to move closer to living the life we desire. So then, the secret to not letting the year slip past and the key to making sure you maximise 2019 and achieve the things you have set for yourself is to, keeping hanging on to what you want, while people all around are letting go.
We must be extremely careful. Letting go may bring immediate relief, return you to your comfort zone and seem to be accepted, because many other people are doing it. However, the question you need to ask, as I ask myself every day, is do you want what most people have, or do you want something different for your life? You see, if you want something different then, with all of your strength, you need to resist your natural inclination, and, what many others are encouraging you to do, which is often, to let go. We may think that, if it’s too hard, we can find something easier. We may wrongly believe that, if it hurts, it’s not good for us. We are often convinced that if we don’t have a natural talent for something, we should try something else. If something is taking longer than we think, we may incorrectly judge our results too early. In all of these cases, letting go of what’s often most important is what then happens. I want to encourage you, in 2019, to be different to most, to resist the strong urge you may have, and to just keep hanging on to your dream, no matter what.
I was fortunate enough to meet an incredibly inspiring man during the week who is the absolute epitome of hanging on!! Paul O’Brien is the owner of a company called Leadership Matters, is about to release his first book, Peddle, Puddles and Potholes, and is currently living his purpose and making a difference in the lives of many people. As I was sitting with Paul, during the week, he was telling me about an extraordinary two year period he experienced about 10 years ago. In this period of time he was diagnosed with cancer, left a career after 26 years, separated from his partner and lost access to his step-children, lost his mother to cancer, had a hip replacement, started a business and, with a day’s notice, lost his business partner, was in financial crisis, and consequently suffered from anxiety and depression. That’s a challenging two years!!
I asked him, ‘Wow Paul, with all that adversity, what kept you hanging on?’ He explained that, the turning point for him was when he was cycling with friends and couldn’t keep up as they powered up a hill. He stopped at the bottom, got off his bike and just lay on the ground, just about ready to give up. He said, he didn’t want to die, but didn’t know how to live. A friend of his, came back and encouraged Paul to keep going up the hill. He said, after that ride, he thought about his life and decided that, if he was going to live, he wanted to live an amazing life. So, hanging to life by his fingernails, and with the belief and support of some great people, he started clawing his way back to life, one day at a time. Today he is living an amazing life, making a difference for many people and very grateful that he hung on when many would have let go. His book will be an inspiring read and is launching soon. If you want to get access to it, contact Paul through his website, click here.
Just one more day
I think why many people let go of the dream is because they look at its achievement as way off in the future. The task seems so big and so overwhelming that getting there may feel all too hard. As you are hanging onto a goal you’ve set, or a dream in your heart, remember the reality is that you don’t need to hold on for the whole year or a month or even a week, you just need to hold on for today. Any dream goal or aspiration is achieved one day at a time. Just hang on for today, then worry about tomorrow, when it becomes today, and so on. Paul explained this is exactly how he managed to pull himself through his misery, depression and to get himself to where he is today. He had to survive one day at a time, then grow one day at a time and finally thrive one day at a time.
So, my friend, if you’ve already let go, it’s not too late to grab on again. If you are just hanging on by your fingernails, grip a little a stronger. If you’re holding on tightly, start climbing. People will be letting go all around you and you will be tempted, at times, to do the same thing. I want to encourage you to resist, hold tighter and every day move towards your 2019 dreams and goals.
If you started a wellness, weight-loss or fitness regime and the novelty period has worn off, stay focused on why you want better health and wellbeing. Then, hold on for one more day to; doing 15-20 minutes of exercise, drinking more water, eating better foods and resisting temptation. You can do that for just today, right? If you have committed yourself to getting your book written and published this year and doubt has started entering your mind, hold on for just today. Do your writing, good or bad, visualise yourself holding that published book and imagine the feeling when it’s done. Do it today, then worry about tomorrow when tomorrow becomes today.
I have a financial goal this year, and when I think about it, I am overwhelmed. It would be easy to let go, but with the help of my money mentor, I am just focusing and hanging on to each and every day. All I need to do is worry about today, and, today I am working on bringing in more income and spending less. I can do that, today. Does restoring a broken relationship seem like a task too hard to hang on to? Can you just hang on today? Can you just make a call, send a message or write a card? Just for today hold on, and then worry about tomorrow, when it becomes today.
The reality is that life, success and goal achievement is not easy. If it were, we would all be happy, healthy, wealthy and free. The people who achieve the most, just hold on the longest. J.K Rowling, now the only billionaire author, held on for more than forty rejections from publishers. Colonel Sanders, the founder of the KFC empire, hung on when most would have let go and faced 1009 rejections to sell his chicken recipe. Today is just one day, you can hang on for today, right? Then when tomorrow arrives as today, you can hang on again. Then, just one day at a time, your 2019 goal will be achieved, and, you will look back proudly that you hung on while others around were letting go.