Around this time of the year I love taking a moment to do one of my favourite rituals which is…..mapping out the new year. 

Sitting down with a nice & very hot cup of coffee while setting my goals for the year, ambitions, the new year vision, key areas of focus & the contribution I want to make in the world. 

This is a process I do with all my clients at the beginning of every new year as it’s so key to put the foundations in for all the successes and changes you want to accomplish. 

However, in addition to this,  I was recently inspired by my wonderful other half Effie and a ritual she does which is to identify your main lessons and insights from the year that has just been.

It really is such an amazing process and after doing this for myself, I wanted to share my key learnings with you in hope that they can touch, serve & inspire you to create the results you want in your life & business.

 

Here are my key learnings from 2018: 

1.  Live from Hell Yes or Hell No

This is a great lesson I learnt from an incredible human being, Rich Litvin, who taught me about making decisions from Hell Yes or Hell No space. 

Far too often when we make decisions, we do so from indecisiveness but I always ask myself can I be or feel completely on board about doing something whether it’s a business decision or eating an ice cream and if I can’t, then it is a Hell No for me. 

Either going all in or not at all, there is no space in between. 

For me last year, the best decisions I made were from Hell Yes or Hell No. As Warren Buffet is famous for saying, it is about knowing what the 1% of opportunities are to say yes to and rejecting the other 99% of things that come your way. 

The Lesson: Trust your gut & go all IN when you do something

2. Commit to Mastery 

Similar to point 1, committing to mastery for me means going deeper in to the key practices that generate the most effective results in all areas of my life from business, health, well being to relationships. 

The lesson: When things get tough, challenging & difficult, stay on course instead of changing direction. There are times when it’s worth testing another approach but set yourself a time frame/point where you could explore this by. 

3. Everyone has an opinion- Follow yours & not theirs

This is a key point I am sure you will resonate and connect with. It’s so easy to let what other people think to cloud your judgement or take bias over your decisions, but the truth is that everybody has an opinion. 

An opinion over how you should live your life, base your decisions, what you should say or shouldn’t. 

When you let go of who you think you need to be for others and the world around you, you’ll then discover who you actually are.

The lesson: Let go of pleasing others and what the world thinks of you, and begin following your own voice, intuition and guidance.

4. Feed your mind- Daily! 

One of my favourite rituals and practices is to read, learn & study something daily for at least 30 minutes that contributes to my overall vision and mission…but also strengthens my mindset too. 

Living such a fast paced life with so much uncertainty around us, working on your mindset and core character is one of the most incredible building blocks to your success. 

It’s also about becoming more as a person in order to achieve more. As Jim Rohn says “ Success is something you attract by the person you become”

The Lesson: Work Harder on yourself & allow it to speak through every action, decision and way you show up in the world

5. Take time to give 

As Tony Robbins Says “The secret to living is giving”. One of the most amazing practices that feeds your heart, soul, spirit & being is contributing to causes and the people around us most in need. 

Taking time to give & serve through numerous activities in the year grounds me, centres me, provides me with perspective that we live in the top 10% of wealth in the world and our problems are not really ever problems & also reminds me of WHY I do what I do as a coach. 

I invite you to find your favourite causes, charities and acts of service and then this year, set a goal or vision of the impact you want to make in these areas.

I guarantee you, you will feel a deep sense of fulfilment from doing this.

The Lesson: Take time out to give, contribute & enjoy the many rewards it brings. 

6. Spend time with inspiring people & in inspired places 

As it says on the tin, spend time with people and in the places that bring out your best and inspire your thinking. 

The more you place your self in uplifting environments, the more extraordinary your thinking and creativity becomes. It’s a huge gift I will give myself more so. 

The Lesson: You become who you spend time with and in environments where you spend the most time. Chose your team carefully. 


7. Take a leap, even if you fear the failure

Are there things you haven’t done because of the fear of what may go wrong? A new business venture, a relationship or a new sport? 

If so, I’m humbled to tell you that everybody alive today experiences the very same thing. The truth is, you only live once and we regret and miss the very decision and shots we don’t take as Michael Jordan says. 

The second truth is that, failure is actually the very gifts that we grow from. Every failure has laid the foundations upon which you have built many of your proud achievements to date.

Failure is a gift, a blessing and an opportunity in disguise. 

The Lesson: Feel the fear & take a leap…..you will be inspired by the very result. 


8. Think bigger, think Impossible 

A great distinction I once came across is that “We set goals from what we think we can have and not what we actually can achieve” 
It’s amazing how our thinking and ego get’s in the way of us tuning in to our potential. 

A question I love asking my clients is what would you do if you couldn’t fail?

I love asking this question and then really seeing the possibility that comes as a result of this. To then notice the patterns of where we have played small & to seek out the glimpses of excellence in what could be?

So what would you do if you couldn’t fail? 

The Lesson: Think bigger, think beyond your limitations and set yourself the impossible goals which you will prove to yourself are possible with your creativity, resourcefulness and intellect

9. Be Coachable

As a coach, I love having my own coach, mentors that can look in to my world and show me where the gaps are in my performance and what’s holding me back from succeeding. 

Through the work I do, I always believe that you can only impact, serve & lead others as powerfully as you have done the same for yourself. 

There are leaders that try to lead…and then there are leaders who actually lead. 

The Lesson: Be Coachable. In order to be a great leader in or at anything, be lead-able. 

Do the work on yourself first, make sure you are fine tweaking your own skills to excellence so that every way you lead others comes across with much more conviction from you having done this for yourself. 

10.  Prioritise your Health

Here is a saying I know you have heard plenty of times, so one more time won’t hurt. Health is wealth! 

Truly in so many ways. At times over the last year whenever I have neglected my health from what I eat through to how much I move my body, this always comes back to bite me negatively from lower energy, tiredness and even procrastinating more. 

Put your health first, fuel your body, your mind and you will feel and perform so much better. 

The Lesson: You have this body for life, don’t abuse or disrespect it. Feed and nourish it, and it will look after you. 

I hope my key lessons take aways and insights have provided massive value to you and can serve you in growing your business, maximising your potential in your career or making 2019 your best year yet. 

As a gift for coming across and reading my article, if you’d like to have a coaching conversation with me on how we can make 2019 your best year yet and ensure you achieve your business/life vision & goals, reach out to me at [email protected] or through my website www.raghavparkash.com

Here is to you reader and I hope you make this year the best year so far and one to remember. 

Live Empowered, 

Your Friend and Coach, 
Raghav