As 2016 draws to a close (eeeek!) it might be good to just do a review of not only the things that you’ve accomplished (and probably didn’t even realize or give yourself credit for!) this year, but also some things to think about as we set intentions for the New Year. Ultimately, the more we can do these things ”“ the happier, more creatively expressed and fulfilled we will be. Good rules for acting. Good rules for Life.
10. Get outside yourself. Meaning, get outside of your head and be in things fully. Don’t watch yourself while you’re in it. Just be in it. Express yourself fully without constantly being self-conscious of what you’re doing or how something might look. Or, as the incomparable Bruce Lee said, “It’s like a finger pointing away to the moon. Don’t concentrate on the finger or you will miss all that heavenly glory.”
9. Don’t use absolutes anymore in your life. We say things like, “It’s always”¦” or “I never”¦” or “I can’t”¦” without realizing those are very limited statements (and untrue). It doesn’t “always just happen to someone else”. You can get what you want in life. Stop telling yourself you can’t.
8. Realize no one knows anything. Margot Robbie recently was quoted in Vogue magazine, “The whole fake-it- till-you- make-it thing has really worked out for me. The more times you do that, the more you realize that no one really knows what they’re doing; everyone’s kind of figuring it out or pretending they know until they do know. And you can apply that to anything””you just have to hustle.” Another way of thinking about it is that you know at least as much as the next person. And there’s obviously still stuff we don’t know and we’ll gain experience and knowledge by doing, but it’s okay to be and to create and to work and to be happy even with just what you know right now! You deserve success and love and fulfillment right now with just what you know right now.
7. Be in a f**k it. That’s it. The end. Mic drop. That’s not being disrespectful. That’s not getting a free pass to be a douche-bag or not focusing on your work or caring. It’s actually the opposite. It’s actually authentically living what really matters to you ”“ and not worrying what other people think of you. Amy Adams said that her career breakthrough was when she gave no more f**ks. “I see when I stopped needing to be perfect. I stopped carrying the weight of criticism. I really was so tired of giving a [expletive] cause I just gave so many all the time.” Bam.
6. Question all narratives. Why do we believe the things we’re told? If we still listened to what some interpretations of history have told us, we’d believe the world was flat or climate change was a Chinese hoax. Just because we’ve been told something forever ”“ doesn’t make those statements true. A belief is just a habit of thought we’ve been repeating over and over. Question them. The next time someone tells you something obvious (and therefore probably redundant), ask for a different interpretation. That’s harder to do.
5. Don’t speak in ways that limit you. (See #9 above.) Try to stay away from the negative and stop diminishing yourself because you haven’t “made it” yet. What does “making it” mean anyway? Are you doing what you love? Are you making a difference in the lives of others? Are you inspiring and being impactful and doing your part? That’s not more significant if you’re famous or have lots of money. Sure, those things might give you a larger platform, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll end up doing things once that status arrives. Why wait? Be who you want to be now without needing something else to happen first to give you permission to be that which you already are.