A Year In Review — Living YOUR Life
How to get from where you are to where you want to be this year.
It took me time off from school, three companies, 200 flights, hundreds of meetings, thousands of dollars, dozens of sleepless nights, and all of my family and friends to help me realize what it’s all about: waking up each day fired up — doing the work I’m meant to be doing, and living the life I’m meant to be living. Here’s a taste of that.
The month of September is full of new beginnings.
For most, it is back to school, back to work, and back to the days of moving so fast, we forget about the bigger picture.
For those who celebrate (and for those who don’t), September also brings about Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New-Year. Many write down resolutions in an attempt to recreate and renew. We gain clarity on our goals, values, priorities, mistakes, successes, and more.
But often times, we fail to capitalize on the introspection, and instead move back to our busy schedules, the daily grind.
Today, I choose to ignore that commonality, because it is entirely flawed.
Many know that I frequently talk about the path that young people are told to follow; it starts with SAT scores and ends with a Floridian retirement. And it doesn’t make any sense.
Across the world, young people have stability prioritized over satisfaction, and profitability sequenced over passion. As a society, we tell our kids to color within the lines, and choose journeys that reflect the status quo.
And there’s nothing I hate more.
At these junctures, it’s as important as ever to think about the bigger picture.
Here’s the million dollar question:
What would life look like if you woke up every morning excited about the life you were living?
In essence, how would things be, if life were better than snooze?
But that line of thinking takes way too much effort.
Instead, we opt for the default lifestyle.
- Which path is numerated, and requires little creative energy?
- How can I pack my life with shallow activity that gives the representation of exploration?
- How can I have success, but play within the rules of the game?
Yeah, you read it right…I’m calling YOU out!
We are essentially facilitating the production of mindlessness.
I say screw that. ⅘ Americans hate the work they’re doing, but society keeps funneling more and more of these robots into the system.
At this launching point, we have to dive deeper. You don’t have to have the answers, but you should at least be brave enough to start asking the questions.
Here are 5 questions to ask, thinking about the year ahead.
1. Mission: What significant impact do I want to have in the world this year?
For me, I want to help young people disrupt the status quo and design the lives they want to live through entrepreneurship.
2. Goals: What specific action items do I want to achieve this year?
For me, there’s a lot. I want to publish a bestselling book, host Next Gen 2016, continue to deliver 5-star value to clients, launch Next Gen Ventures, augment my speaking calendar, enjoy my year at Penn, spend more time with family and friends, and so much more.
But these new beginnings are about much more than just looking ahead; they’re also about looking back.
3. Mistakes: Where did I slip up this year?
For me, I let my passion get in the way of my organization during the planning of Next Gen 2015.
4. Successes: What did I do really well this year?
For me, and above all else, I had hundreds of people write-in that I had created a profound impact on the way they are living their lives, whether it be through my writing, speaking, consulting, conference, client-relationship, and more. I taught people to live lives based on themselves, not others.
5. Gratitude: Who am I thankful for this year?
For me, I am grateful for every single person in my life: my clients, business partners, co-founders, board members, mentors, colleagues, friends (old and new), and most importantly, Josh, Aaron, Mom and Dad. I love you all.
This year is going to make or break my dreams. I am fired up to get people fired up. I will help as many people as I can start to design the lives that they want to lead through entrepreneurship. I’ll show people how to find the intersection between their passion, value and skillset. I will make my impact.
We’ve asked a lot of questions, and I’ll end with just one more.
What do we need to get from where we are to where we want to be, both personally and professionally?
Here are my 3 steps to capitalize on opportunity this year. To get from where we are to where we want to be this year.
- Surround yourself with the people who are doing what you want to be doing, and learn how they achieved what you want to achieve. Reverse-engineer the process with your own special twist. Collaborate with others.
- Commit to a level of happiness and success that is near exceptional, and don’t settle for anything less. Be a good person. Be a good friend.
- Be a hustler; ask for what you want; take chances; enjoy what you want to enjoy; commit, then figure it out; live the life you’re destined to live.
“Let the grand vision guide you. Surround yourself with a likeminded team. Hustle.” — John Meyer
“Solicit a ton of advice, and then actively ignore most of it.” — Jolijt Tamanaha
Wishing you all health, happiness and prosperity as we enter this next chapter.
Get ready, because you know I am.
If you agree with me, or think that you know someone who could benefit from this, please help me out by ‘sharing’ the post.
If you want to take this further, email me — Justin@JustinLafazan.com — so we can find time to connect.
Written by Justin Lafazan. At 19, Justin is an experienced entrepreneur, consultant, author and speaker. He is the Founder of Students4Students, Millennial Marketing Strategy and the Next Gen Summit. Featured in Forbes, USA Today, and Entrepreneur Magazine, Justin shares his insights with audiences of all sizes, including three TEDx events. Learn more (and get in touch!) at JustinLafazan.com.
