As we come toward the end of another year, I wanted to pass along a few things I've learned over the past few years since stepping out to become a full-time speaker.

1. If you don’t know who you are, the world will decide for you. And in all honesty, you probably won't be happy with their choice. Figure out who you want to be and fight hard to become that person.

2. Knowing more than others can sometimes make you feel lonely. That's why I always say if you're the smartest person in the room, go to another room. Mental stimulation comes through challenging conversations, so seek out those who interest you.

3. What annoys you in others can teach you about yourself. What ticks you off about that annoying person in your life? Now take a hard look at yourself to see if you're not exhibiting some of the same (or very similar) traits. This was a gut-punch lesson for me a few weeks ago when I finally decided to be honest with myself.

4. Every day you decide to succeed or fail in that day, so choose wisely. Will you accomplish anything today, or will you just spin your wheels waiting for that perfect moment to begin something? Start it already!

5. You are defined by what you do, not by what you say. You can talk about great things, but what you act on truly matters in your life. Everyone has "someday" dreams, but taking steps toward seeing them come true is all that matters.

6. Facing your own failures helps you understand the shortcomings in others. Be honest with yourself about what scares you, what hinders your progress, and what you need to fix. Then look for ways to help other people in similar situations. You'll be amazed at how much that will help you, too.

7. If you don’t become aware of what’s inside you, it will control your life—and you’ll think it’s just fate. If you struggle with procrastination, don't blame your lack of success on someone else. If you lack the motivation to try something new, don't say you're stuck in a rut and can't do anything about it. Face the truth and work with it.

8. Be thankful for your struggles; they help you grow and shape who you are. If you are willing to learn from your mistakes and never make the same mistakes twice, you'll see progress in your life. Some of the most valuable life lessons come from the overwhelming moments we persevered when others would have quit.

9. Everyone you meet knows something you don’t, so be willing to learn from them. I've tried to spend this year learning from every person I've met at the places we've spoken. It's been such an incredibly fascinating year. Do I know the secrets of the universe? No, but I do know a lot more about little things I'd never considered before.

10. You are not what happened to you. You are what you choose to become. Every single one of us has had a reason to quit at some point in our lives. We've all faced moments when we could have just thrown in the towel on everything and stagnated (or worse). The fact that you are still here through all your struggles just proves how strong you really are.

Every day, we are given teachable moments. We can choose to learn the lessons they offer, or just ignore them and keep going as we do every day.

Choose to make the rest of the year the best of the year!