It’s that time of the year again, parties, dinners, holidays and celebrations. For many, its where we take the time to look back at the year and reflect on what we did right, try really hard to remember what we didn’t do, bask in the memories of what we did, and then set new resolutions and goals for the coming new year. How was your 2017? Here is my year in a nutshell and some of the key lessons i learnt throughout the year.
2017 has been a challenging year for me. Challenging because i was fighting an internal battle throughout the year.
The year was spent actively meeting new people, talking and listening to many wise and successful personalities, and acquiring an abundance of new knowledge and insights. Read 23 books in the year, attended various mentorship programmes, joined peer support groups (co-founded one!), participated in multiple professional courses, and attended knowledge sharing sessions. Consuming and sharing as much as i could throughout the year led to what i call a ‘knowledge overload’. It didn’t help that i actively took up every speaking opportunity to share any experience and knowledge as i learnt a lot whilst actively sharing. With so much new knowledge, information, and exposure to various industries, i began to question myself and self destructively in my mind managed to poke holes and flaws in my life and hence the business. Now the problem i face, and i believe many others do too is actually organising that knowledge, and putting that knowledge into action. Execution is key, and the lessons of 2017 have helped me lay the foundation for diligent execution in 2018.
On the other hand though, 2017 has been a blessed year for me, getting engaged to an amazing woman, having a dedicated team of PulsElites who worked tirelessly throughout the year, made a lot new friends, and received and still continue to receive mentorship from a handful of ultra successful entrepreneurs. If you choose to look for the negatives, you’ll always find it, if you choose to look at the positives, you’ll always find something to be grateful for.
So here’s me reflecting on 2017:
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- Its ok to stop. (but you got to get going again!)
Directing all your efforts, resources and energy building something is pointless if you are going down the wrong track. No matter how fast or how smooth you’re going, it is really just a waste if you don’t end up where you want to go. So Its alright to stop, collect your thoughts, study the horizon and change direction. Just make sure you don’t stop for too long. - You are accountable for everything.
Everything that you have and the situation you are in is entirely your own doing. The choices you’ve made, the mindset you are in, the thoughts in your head, your mood, is all you. Don’t play the blame game, nobody is to blame for anything pertaining to you. Embrace that plus a positive mindset and soon you’ll discover how great your life is. Oh, and remember… Karma is a bitch. - Commitment
The ability to make a commitment to something is the definitive force behind achievement. Learning to commit to what we say can leave a huge impact in our organisation and in our lives. Once a promise is made, commit to it, and execute.“Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans.” – Peter Drucker.
- You can’t go at it alone
You’ve heard the saying, if you want to go fast, go alone if you want to go far, go together. No successful person in life is ever a ‘self made man’. To do anything great, requires the right team to do it. Put double the effort in recruiting your team to ensure you have the right people on the bus.
As an entrepreneur/business owner, it can get lonely at the top. I appreciate the power of a board of directors, for both an organisation and an individual. Having a structured/regimented group or a board of directors to bounce ideas Ideas, strategies, thoughts, or just to have a discussion on both life and business can yield amazing results. I highly recommend joining a support group or forming a “board of directors” to harness the power of multiple perspectives and accountability. - Think strategically about past mistakes
“Neither a wise man nor a brave man lies down on the tracks of history to wait for the train of the future to run over him.” – Dwight D.Eisenhower
While we do learn our lessons from past mistakes, do not dwell on them and let it occupy space in your life. Remember the lessons, remove the rest. - Execute
Version one is better than version none. We always have great ideas in our heads, and over discussions we can come up with amazing strategies and plans. All these come to nought if nothing gets done. Stop trying to get it right or continuously striving to get it perfect before doing it, execute first and make adjustments as you go or change if you need to. You can never learn anything from being right, you only learn if you allow yourself to be wrong and make mistakes.“Version One Is Better Than Version None”
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Embrace change
The only thing constant in life is change, and change today is at lightning speed. He/she who is unable to accept constant rapid change is destined to remain where they are. As an individual and as an organisation, religiously pursue new knowledge and adapt to change. In fact, embrace it and make change part of your mindset. You cannot expect different results by doing the same thing.
These are my 7 key lessons from 2017 in brief. If you’re keen on discussing theses in more detail or would like to share your thoughts with me, drop me an email/comment and we can always meet up for coffee (if you’re in Klang Valley).
My wish for you is that 2018 be filled with good health, wealth and happiness. Happy New Year!
- Its ok to stop. (but you got to get going again!)
jwanheah 