The Secret to Achieving BIG Things in 2020
It’s that time of year! Time to reflect, rejoice and RESOLVE.
If you’ll allow me to share a not-so-great part of myself here, let me tell you that I was an angry child. No, not all the time. But I threw incredible tantrums. I pulled my sister’s hair and sat in the back of the stroller grinning ear to ear, with stringy fistfuls of my sister, Abby’s, brown locks. On our family ski trip to Canada, instead of going along with a group of my peers for a lesson, I opted to throw myself face down into the snow to prove the point that I did not wish to attend. Don’t ask me why.
And then one day, around late elementary school, something changed. Or as my sister Abby said, “At some point, you just stopped being so angry. What happened?”
The funny thing is, I have no answer. (But we can get to that later.) But what has kept me going for the past umpteen years or so, is this positive productivity I developed as soon as I stopped being so angry. And coincidentally, this time of year is now one of my favorites. A time to reflect on what you’ve accomplished over the course of the previous 365 days, rejoice at what you’ve crafted for yourself in life, and resolve to build upon your story.
Don’t get me wrong, some years suck.
But there are pockets of joy in every year, and I use New Years as a time to discover and celebrate those moments. And while I’ll be sharing my resolutions in my next post, I want to share the bigger resolution I’ve found that so many of us, including small, angry Emily, might need to hear.
And that is to dream big, with reckless abandon, supported with the positive, productive thoughts that will make those dreams happen. Because most of our brains will always make way for reality. And in case they don’t, you know the peanut gallery will weigh in with their doubts. So I’m here to remind you to focus on the larger-than-life things you were put on this earth to accomplish, no matter how foolish they may sound out loud.
How? I’ll tell ya.
Over the past few months, I’ve met with a group of incredible women who are big dreamers and go getters. And upon our first meeting, we thought we had an artist, a hostel owner, a barista, and a writer. After a few meetings, a few questions, a few discussions, and a few more members, it turns out we’re much more than that. We have an artist and facilitator, who’s successfully started life drawing classes with graceful live models (and an incredible turnout!) We have a boutique lodging and real estate expert who’s in the process of growing an entire hospitality brand. We have a passionate sustainability expert, who’s planting seeds to upend the incredible waste that’s tossed into the world from the fashion industry.
And we have me.
A facilitator, motivator, and aspiring entrepreneur of a business TBD.
And this is only the beginning.
But at our first meeting, we didn’t know this. Because nobody said it. (Myself included.) Everyone was shy, bashful, and toned down their accomplishments and aspirations, in an effort to not attract too much attention and avoid bragging. At least that’s what our brains must have been telling us. And why oh why?! What a shame it is to tone down your dreams in an effort to blend in.
Don’t worry, after a few hours together, we realized our group is a safe space for big dreams and positive productivity, and now we’re on a roll to be unstoppable. But my hope for the New Year is that your local coffee shop, your cubicle, and your living room, all become safe spaces for your big dreams. (AKA start spreading those dreams everywhere.) Don’t tone yourself down to meet a bogus, boring norm. Say it out loud. Claim what you want. And find the people who are there to support you.
Because who knows who’s in the same room, with the resources and energy to give your dream a boost. As soon as I started saying I was a writer and blogger, I found myself in front of an editor of a magazine looking for articles, a hotel in need of a good write up, and a Facebook group where I’m tagged by every other person in our town whenever a writing gig comes up.
I didn’t say I’m hot shit, and my words are liquid gold. But I claimed what I know I can do. And I hope you do too. Because honestly, you’re full of potential. And who knows the nooks and crannies of that potential better than you?
So cheers to 2020 and cheers to finding the positive, productive tools you need to go after your dreams. Your dream doesn’t have to seem as outlandish as mine, with moves to various countries and total career changes. It can be finally applying for the job you’ve always wanted. It can be starting your own Etsy shop. It can even be growing organic veggies in that barren-looking corner of your backyard. But whatever it is, give your dream the air it needs to stand a chance in this world. And there’s no better way to give it air, than to say it out loud.
Go get ‘em tiger.
Happy Emily is rooting for you.
Need some tools to get started?
Here are a few things I swear by:
2. “How I Built This” Podcast
3. Find (or start) a group for inspiration and accountability. Facebook is a great place to start.
4. Can’t afford a designer for basic stuff? Use Canva until you can afford to hire the pros.
5. Are you in need of a confidence boost? Read You Are a Badass and Voices of Powerful Women