There is a tape that a friend of mine gave me a long time ago. It’s called the Winner’s Edge. Great tape, and lots of good stuff on it. I am reminded of one thing in particular as I am creating and launching new products.
In it, Ray Pelletier asks what if every day were January 1st? Other than a perpetual hangover for a lot of folks you may be tempted to say “So what?”
What do people do every year on Jan. 1? They set new goals or resolutions. They mentally wipe the slate clean. They start over on their promises and intentions. They take this arbitrary date on a calendar that really is only significant because we GIVE it such and they FORGET THE PAST so they can CREATE THE FUTURE!
If you treated every day like it was a fresh start from where you are now, what would happen? Would you have less stress? Less headaches? More energy? Would you see the possibilities before you because you were at a beginning?
Don’t we all generally look forward to the potential of what lay ahead at every time of year? In the Spring we have warming weather and Easter. In the summer we look forward to vacations, cookouts and ball games. In the Fall we tend to breathe a sigh of relief as we send the kids off to school and get them out of our hair. Finally in the winter we are all about Christmas, presents, football and winter activities. It’s all about what can happen it seems. We tend to bury the past in favor of the future.
As we move through the year, we drag the baggage of the missed opportunities, the little failures, the big problems, the small and the inconsequential with us only to let go of them at January 1st.
Why not act as if EVERY day is January 1st in that respect? Let’s drop all that baggage now. Let’s now wait another week or another month. Most importantly, let’s not wake up in a month still dragging last month’s baggage with us. Let’s all leave it behind every day and focus on the future.
Imagine what life would be like if you lived each day like this. It doesn’t mean you don’t ever think about the past, because we build upon our past. But it does mean that we don’t let our past rule our future. It’s too easy to get caught up on our past problems or failures.
Instead, get caught up in your future and your triumphs. Build on yesterday and today. Discard the past that doesn’t work and keep what does. It’s the only way to treat every day like it’s a new year.
