On a recent flight home from a high-performance leadership presentation in Napa Valley for the executive team of a fast-growth multinational, I flipped through the pages of the latest issue of Men’s Journal (I usually buy four or five magazines for each flight I take and rip out the few articles I’m interested in – but I’ll leave that process for a future issue of this newsletter).
I reached a feature on Mark Wahlberg. The piece details his rise to fame. From tough + violent beginnings (he allegedly blinded an innocent bystander in a fight). To his brother (of New Kids on The Block fame) helping him get a record deal as rapper “Marky Mark”. To a stint as a controversial underwear model for Calvin Klein. Then into the movies, first in bit roles and then up to leading man. And now – as a Hollywood producer (yes, he not only starred in the breathtakingly great film “The Fighter”, he also produced it). And as an entrepreneur who has launched a hamburger chain (WahlBurgers) and a water company.
The article depicted him now as a devoted family man, an uber-fit athlete (60 minutes first thing in the morning…sound familiar?) – and as a go-getter who swiftly moves from one mountaintop to the next.
But what struck me most about Mark Wahlberg’s profound evolution was not what has happened in his outer world as the years have passed. No, what intrigued me was what’s been unfolding within. His personal values have transformed. His faith has awakened. And his moral compass has been completely reconfigured. And because of what’s been growing on the inside of his life, big things are happening on the outside of his life. Love it.
We’re still in January. You have a fresh, stain-free year ahead of you. If you silence your Saboteur for a few seconds, the reality I need to share with you is that you can pretty much write a whole new script for a whole new way to work + live right now. Yes, you really are that powerful. The question isn’t “can you?”. Nope. The question is “will you?” (And if not this year – then which year?).
Here are 3 powerful brain tattoos to make this a fantastic year for you:
#1. My Identity Shapes My Reality
Neuroscience confirms your brain is like a giant spam filter – you only see what you focus on. So if your self-identity is all about being a victim, you’ll literally spot conditions that confirm your victimhood. On the other hand, if you see yourself as a powerful creator of your conditions, you’ll see opportunities to get to your goals – and dreams – all around you.
#2. Dream Big But Start Small
Ok, you’ve heard me say this before but a good coach repeats the fundamentals until they become a part of the way you think and perform. As I wrote in my new book “The Secret Letters of The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” – “small daily improvements over time lead to stunning results.” One of the great keys to transformation are those little daily wins that stack up into a tsunami of change over the coming months.
#3. Vague Plans Provoke Vague Results.
I strongly recommend that you write out a 12 month plan, recording at least 5 little or big projects that you commit to getting done each month to ensure this year ends in rare-air. The fact is that a plan becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy (as researchers in the emerging field of positive psychology are confirming). In other words, clarity breeds mastery. And the goals you set drive the actions you’ll take.
I truly hope that this year serves as a vehicle for you to change the game. That this year is the year you do the best work of your career (a job is only a job if you choose to see it as a job). The year that you get fit like an athlete. The year to get your financial life to a place called exceptional. The year that you grow the family life of your dreams. And the year that inspired you to craft the life you’ve always wanted to live (and become the person you’ve always wished you could be).
Wishing you all green lights. Now, go change the world! :)
P.S. I’ve put together a fantastic resource with some of my bestselling audio programs and an eBook called “The DNA of Leadership Bundle” to support and guide you over the next few weeks. The way you begin this year really sets you up for the way you’ll live this year so invest in the gift of personal development by getting one of these special sets right now: http://www.robinsharma.com/store/Bundles/Downloads/robin-sharma-DNA-leadership
I’m sitting on an airplane thinking about what the best performers and most successful people do to continually outperform everyone around them.
Last year I was blessed to serve as the personal business/success advisor of some of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world. I also was privileged to have been called on by companies – in over 43 countries within 12 months – like Starbucks, The Coca-Cola Company, RIM and groups like The Young President’s Organization to help them take their leaders to all-new levels of productivity and performance. It was an intense year of events, airports and hotel rooms.
The fears you don’t face become your limits. And the doubts you don’t deal with become your walls.
From my family to yours, Happy New Year. I sincerely hope this is the year you change the game – and get to your absolute best at work and within your life. My team and I are devoted to helping you make this happen.
