The Year of Saying Yes

Eat the Frog and Say Yes

8 Ways to make 2021 your year

Let 2021 be the year of saying yes

Ready to have 2020 in your rearview mirror and say, “Buh-bye”? Hindsight is 2020, so let’s learn from 2020 and use those lessons to our advantage to make 2021 the best year yet.

If 2020, a complete dumpster fire of a year, has taught us anything, it is that life is short and unpredictable. Anything can happen and you need to take charge of your destiny now. Don’t wait passively for things to get better. Be proactive and make this year yours. You can do it.

The uncertainty of the pandemic made a lot of us put our lives on hold as we waited to see how 2020 would play out. Now, we’re ready to move forward. We’re ready for new opportunities. We’re ready to make things happen. Let’s do it.

Are we still in a pandemic? Yes. Are there still restrictions? Yes. Are we still here? Yep! Move around those obstacles and barriers. Get creative. Decide how you are going to make 2021 your year. Chase your dreams and conquer your goals.

Don’t let a pandemic stop you from making this your best year yet.

How do you do that? In the year of saying yes, you want lasting goals to help you get what you want. Here are 8 ways to get what you want for 2021.

First, Don’t Make Resolutions

Resolutions are usually short-lived, temporary, and vague. dictionary.com defines resolution as: the act of resolving or determining upon an action, course of action, method, procedure, etc.

Resolutions can be synonymous with failure as people abandon them when they get too busy. They set themselves up for failure when they don’t make a plan towards their resolutions. Don’t make resolutions. Instead pick a word for 2021 and use that to help you with your goal.

2. Pick a word for 2021

Sounds silly? Maybe not. Think about it. When you choose a word and make it your word of the year, you make it your focus and integrate it to your daily life. Your word makes your actions intentional.

Put it on the bathroom mirror. Write it in your notebook. Tape it to your laptop. Place it where you will see it everyday. Choose your word. Is your word success? Family? Love? Health? Pick your word and no matter what it is, focus on it and develop goals around that word. Do it for a week.

Notice a difference in how approach your life? That’s called inspiration and purpose. You got this.

3. Make a goal

Determine what you need to make this year a year of Yes. Goals aren’t vague. They are specific and quantifiable. Write them down. Example: In 2021 I will lose 21 pounds, Here are 3 things that equal success to me and then do them, Here are 3 ways I am going to spend more time with my family this year. Make your goal and determine the steps to accomplish it. See #4 below on making a plan.

4. Make a plan. Meet your goals in small steps.

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. You don’t want to frustrate yourself and make your goals too big. Big goals are good. You should always aim high, but if you don’t put in the little steps to achieve them, they appear unattainable. Nobody’s got time for unrealistic goal setting and no one’s got time for failure.

Break down your goals into mini goals. For example: Want to lose 21 pounds in 2021? Make that your big goal. But your smaller goals can help you achieve that big goal: Drink half my body weight in water everyday, eat one healthier meal a day, exercise 21 minutes everyday.

When I train for a half-marathon I have a goal of running 13.1 miles on race day. I don’t show up on race day without training. I’d fail miserably. Instead I follow a plan of that makes my body ready to tackle 13.1 miles on race days, just like how all of those smaller steps will help you meet your big goal.

5. Eat the Frog

Eat the frog means just do it otherwise the frog eats you. Still don’t know what that means? It means you will spend the day in procrastination to avoid the thing you don’t want to do and thereby not moving towards your goal. Say yes first to the things you don’t like doing. It’s easy to do the fun parts of our day first. But when we do that, we have that nagging feeling that you have a chore to do and it spoils the rest of the day. We can only avoid the hard stuff for so long. I always feel weight lifted off me when I eat the frog. Get that chore out of the way first so that you can enjoy your day. Don’t like to exercise? Set out your clothes and shoes the night before. The next morning before your body has time to wake up, just do it. Looking for a new job? Send out a resume to at least one new employer a day. Do the hard stuff first and everything will fall into place. You will feel more productive and get more accomplished. It becomes routine and it won’t feel so hard the next time. It’s one step closer to saying yes to this year.

6. Forward movement

How do you run a marathon? One step at a time. Don’t get caught up on what could’ve, would’ve, should’ve been. Don’t dwell on the past. Keep moving forward. What can you say yes to now that will help you meet your goals? Keep saying yes to new opportunities. Every yes is a step forward in having the best year yet.

7. Say no to negativity

There’s enough negativity in the world. Just read the news or scroll through social media. Look for the positive. Even if you meet one part of your goal, that’s saying yes to this year. Celebrate every small step towards your goal. Baby steps, big steps, it’s all to be celebrated.

8. Say YES!

You have got this. Say Yes to opportunities, yes to love, yes to healthy choices. Say yes to YOU. You are important and you matter.

Now go and have an amazing 2021. I’m rooting for you.