There is no substitution for planning when winning is the goal.

As we welcome in the new decade with open arms (I don’t know anyone not happy to see the back of 2019) now is the time to plan. Plan what you want to achieve, how you want to show up, and what you are going leave behind to create space for winning.

Too often we slide into Christmas with barely enough time or energy to collect a few critical gifts as the jolly guy is suiting up and the reindeers get tethered. As the new year rolls around we are still recovering from the year added to the excessive consumption from the festive season. Back at work, we immediately start playing catch-up with emails and putting the finishing polish on the projects we didn’t complete last year. We’ve started the new year already on the back foot 

As the saying goes – start the year as you plan to finish. 

Top tips for a winning position in 2020

Reflection & Revision 

• What were your key successes in 2019?
• What contributed to making those successes happen? Be sure to explore mindset and behaviours.
• What could you have done differently to amplify your success to a higher level?
• What did you learn about yourself? How does that change what you believe is possible for 2020?
• What were your most significant challenges in 2019? What contributed to those challenges?
• What could you have done differently to mitigate the challenges?
• What was the insight’s you gained about yourself that you want to take forward into the new year?
• What are you personally most proud of? Why? How does it influence what ‘winning’ looks like for you in 2020?
• In summary, for 2020, what do you want to Keep Doing? Stop Doing? Start Doing?

Plan to Win

• What does being a winner look like for you in 2020? Professionally? Personally?
• Get SMART about your goals. S – specific, M- measurable A – attainable, R- realistic (winner realistic thought not mediocre realistic), T – timely.
• How will you know when you are winning? What impact will winning make in your life? Can you describe how winning will feel?
• Choose a single word for 2020 that sums up that winning feeling. Theme your year for success and use that word as a visual reminder of what 2020 is about for you. Write that word everywhere – your phone cover, screensaver, bathroom mirror, a post-it note on your computer, hell, get it tattooed on your forehead! Whatever it takes.
• I currently have three coaches I work with on different parts of my business and life. One of my coaches is JT Foxx, the world’s number one wealth coach. He has a super practical book, Millionaire Underdog that I’m constantly reverting to. Here are some of his tips that I highly recommend weaving into your success equation:

How a Millionaire Wins

1. Start your day early at 5 am and gain extra hours.
2. Then immediately spend 30 minutes thinking vertically about how to be more successful – deep dive into one particular challenge or opportunity and find a nugget of gold to act on. Focus on the ‘why’; the ‘how’ is where the other 99% of people focus. Knowing ‘why’ people should engage with you will help you stand out.
3. Fuel your mind, body and soul with good nutrients. Set yourself up to work like the well-oiled machine you are. Check out my guest blogger, Kirsten Murphy’s blog titled: Feed Your Brain: Tips to Fuel Your Body & Brain for Peak Performance.
4. Be decisive. Ask yourself: What is the best-case scenario? Worst case? Most likely case? Then count 5,4,3,2,1 and decide. Ideas not actioned within 24 hours rarely ever happen. Sometimes our decisions will lead to ‘failures’, but I’m of the school that believes ‘there is no failure, only feedback’. Embrace ‘failures’ knowing they are markers on the path to success.
5. Accept that rejection and ‘no’ is a part of life and realize that every ‘no’ gets you closer to a ‘yes’ as the data equips you to make critical adjustments.
6. Time management is king. 
   • Write a list of all the things you need to stop doing – how much are you worth an hour? Anything on that list that doesn’t pay you your worth- delegate. 
   • Write a to be doing list – what is required to be transformational in your role or business? Get out from the weeds and focus on what matters. 
   • Map out your to-do list by blocking your calendar in 30 minute blocks, seven days a week. Allot time based on your priorities and be 100% present in the moment. Be in the zone.
   • End the day with knowing exactly how you will start your day – including the vertical topic you want to deep dive into, the podcast you want to listen to during commute, the blog you will read while eating lunch – plan to win. I’m a big believer of starting the day by Eating the Frog first – doing the hardest thing first and creating and creating mental bandwidth for the remainder of the day.
   • Make time available twice a day where people can interrupt you for their ‘do you have a minute?” questions. The rest of the time is a no-interrupt zone. 
   • Learn to say no.
   • Check your email twice a day i.e. 10.30am and 6.00pm. 

There is no time like the present to plan to win. Set time aside before you head off on holiday and do what it takes to make 2020 your most powerful year yet.

Be more, do more, expect more.

To your success!