Remember These Five Things for the New Year!

Not every lion who chases the zebra catches one, but every lion who catches the zebra chased one.

At the end of every year, I always like to take stock of what I did right and what I missed. This year, in particular, was a year of change and new experiences for me, and I wanted to share five bits of wisdom I learned.

1) Don't be afraid to chase the zebra.

"Not every lion who chases the zebra catches one, but every lion who catches the zebra chased one."

New experiences offer us a chance of success and an opportunity for failure. You will not win with every new thing you try, but if you keep trying enough, you will win with some of them. Stop worrying about what other people are thinking about you because, in all honesty, they probably aren't thinking about you at all. Don't let fear of what people will think hold you back from pursuing your dreams. Step forward into the unknown and don't spend your life living in a comfort zone. Always keep pushing yourself toward new things, and don't be afraid of new experiences that offer new possibilities. You never know when you'll catch the zebra!

2) Don't compare your journey to someone else's final destination.

"Every second you spend comparing your life to someone else's is a second spent wasting yours."

There will always be people who are more successful and in a better place, but they didn't get there overnight. It's all a matter of making the journey, one step at a time. Don't look at where someone else is now; instead, look at where you are compared to last year. How much have you progressed? And be proud of that.

3) Doing a lot doesn't necessarily mean you're accomplishing anything.

"There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all." — Peter F. Drucker. 

So many people equate busyness with success, but they are not necessarily the same. Just because you are going nonstop from the time you get up until you collapse into bed at night doesn't automatically mean you accomplish a lot. There are so many tasks that come at us every day, begging for attention, and yet some of them could easily be ignored. Find the necessary things to do and prioritize them, then take an honest look at the other stuff. Does it all have to be done, or can I delegate it, delay it, or simply delete it from the list?

4) Be grateful for what you have and stop focusing on what you don't.

"I challenge anybody in their darkest moment to write what they're grateful for, even stupid little things like green grass or a friendly conversation with somebody on the elevator. You start to realize how rich you are." - Jim Carrey

I have a friend who has a list of 1000 things to do every day, and it affects their entire outlook on life and their happiness. At some point in the future, they will look back on their life and realize how incredibly blessed they were, and days like today will be distant memories in which they would give anything to go back to and enjoy for just a few moments. Even if you don't have everything you want on your "List of a Perfect Life", I'll bet you have things right now that you should be grateful for. Spend one day focusing on those rather than the rest, and you'll find your entire outlook on life changes.

5) Never stop learning from others. Always remember you don't know it all.

 "Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't." - Bill Nye

 The most aggravating people are the ones who never listen. I know someone who leads a mid-sized organization in our area who will never, ever listen to any criticism of his work. To him, he is perfection walking, and anyone who offers suggestions on how he runs his organization is immediately wrong. Let me warn you ahead of time: you aren't perfect, and there's always room for improvement. Granted, not every bit of advice you get will be good, but when you feel you have arrived and can no longer be helped, you're in trouble. I promise you that you can learn something from everyone. Don't be afraid to listen.

I hope next year is the best one yet for you, and I hope to see you all again at an event somewhere! Remember: You weren't born to be average!