START 2023 STRONG

RABBI EZRA MAX

BEGIN 2023 WITH THE FOLLOWING REFLECTION QUESTIONS TO LEVERAGE YOUR STRENGTHS. WHAT WERE YOUR WINS AND SUCCESSES IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS? HOW MIGHT YOU LEVERAGE THESE WINS TO CREATE EXCEPTIONAL OUTCOMES FOR 2023?

In the 18 Committed Leaders Group, we looked at some of the most significant gains, lessons and progressions over the past year to build upon this to create a really powerful 2023.

In his book, Good to Great, Jim Collins says, “If you have more than three priorities, you have none.” You must define your top two or three priorities to create a powerful year.

What are your top three priorities for 2023?
Are they family, business, health, spirituality, emotional intelligence, or something else? Make sure you write them out and share them with someone who will hold you accountable!

These are some simple, obvious steps that successful people take to ensure they are continuously successful. In, Be Your Future Self Now, Dr. Benjamin Hardy, focuses on how to create your future self in the present. One of the most fascinating principles is that your future self will be different from your current self and how you can get there faster. Most people build their future self leaning on their past instead of being more innovative and having their future self pull them forward. You might be wondering, how can my future self pull me forward if it doesn’t exist yet? The answer is that when you choose who your future self will be, you create the energy and the drive and you are pulled toward it.

Have you ever set a goal? Does setting this goal make it easier or harder to achieve? Obviously, it’s easier to achieve a goal because you are aiming for it. Otherwise, you’re just drifting mindlessly.

How many people do we know who are drifting through life mindlessly with no end in sight? When something happens, they say, “This is not the life I want. I’m not happy.” Have you ever met an unhappy person? You certainly have. Well, if they don’t have a goal, and they’re not actively pursuing it, why assume life will get better. Perhaps you can help them set a goal.

We don’t always get everything we want and this doesn’t mean failure. We certainly get closer to our goals by having them versus not.
What do you want to achieve?
Who is it that you want to become?
What is it that you want to do?
What does your future self look like?
Who do you want to be doing it with?
By answering these questions and framing them in the context of your top two or three priorities for 2023, this exercise will improve your destiny. Answering these simple questions will automatically enhance your life.

If you want to increase your chances of success. Make a plan to bring it into reality. Keep this plan where you can see it daily. Have an accountability partner and monitor your progress toward your desired future self regularly, at least once a month. You can’t go wrong with this strategy because even if you don’t achieve the exact goals that you’re setting, you will definitely be closer to them. You will have learned and gained tremendously.

Here’s a tip that Dr. Hardy recommends. Write yourself a letter as if it’s January 1, 2024, one year away. Write this letter celebrating the wins and accomplishments of the past 12 months, as if they have already happened. Describe what your day looks like, what your week looks like and what your life looks like. Detail what you have achieved, learned and accomplished. Describe who you have become. You can look at the letter frequently or put it away. A year from now, open it, read it and measure how far you’ve come or how close you’ve gotten to achieving what you set out to do.

We know that the direction and choices a person truly desires will be supported with divine intervention. Which way do you want to go?

Wishing you success in becoming your best future self.

Rabbi Ezra Max, PCC, MHMP, Xchange Guide & Creator of “The Max Method” assists businesses and professionals deal with stress and achieve success. Rabbi Max has witnessed 20 years of results helping executives, parents and teens overcome struggles, improve communication and thrive. He lives in New York with his wife and five children.