2016 has begun!

What are you up to this year? What’s important for your business in 2016?

I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions, myself. I haven’t found that having “resolutions” has been very INSPIRING for me or for other people. And I find that INSPIRATION plays a big role in whether people take action or not.

When people are inspired, “wanting to” is present.

When I’m not inspired, taking any uncomfortable action can seem like,

I SHOULD xyz or

I HAVE TO xyz” or

I OUGHT TO xyz

……. “And I don’t want to!!!

And the “I don’t want to” thwarts the action. I’m left with having to force myself, if I’m going to take the action, and more likely, I’m inclined NOT to take the action!

Here’s a simple example from my life:
I live on a steep hill. My driveway is also a steep hill. The garbage collection service requires that the containers be taken up to the street for emptying. Years back, I’d often forget to take the containers up to the street, so I put a reminder on my calendar on Tuesdays at 5:30pm.

The alarm for my reminder would come up on my calendar at 5:30pm:

Take the trash out.

My response to the alarm was usually,

Later!+Delete!

Frequently, “Later” didn’t come…and the trash would sit in the garage.

I sat myself down to look at what was going on. I laughingly discerned that part of what was running the show is that I held taking out the trash to be my Husband’s job, not mine:

I shouldn’t have to!”      (PROBLEM:  I don’t have a Husband.  Ha!)

I realized I could live my life as a victim of the trash, or, I could put in a little work to get in touch with the “Why bother?” of taking out the trash.

At first, my response was, “Because no one else is gonna do it.
NO INSPIRATION.

Then, “Do it, because it’s harder to take MORE out, next week.
NO INSPIRATION.

Then I looked at, “What’s the consequence if I DON’T take the trash out?”

Aha. Particularly in summer, when I don’t take the trash out, the garage starts to stink.

INSPIRATION!   I really don’t like walking into a stinky garage!

I re-worded the reminder on my calendar. Now, on Tuesday evenings at 5:25pm, my calendar says, “Have the garage not stink!

And you know what? IT DOESN’T.

YOU have the ability to engage yourself in your intentions, your commitments, what’s really important to you, in a whole new way—take some time to get in touch with the “Why bother?”  (Keep in mind:  You may need to take some trash out, to get in touch with what’s important!)

You gotta wanna.

How can you apply this to your business?