The Year of No
Photo credit: tweeted at me on Twitter
It's time for the obligatory Happy New Year post.
Have you done your goal planning? Or your retreat because you are anti-goal planning? I had big plans to goal plan, but that didn't really work out so well. As of today, I still have no 2017 business goals. I feel like this flies in the face of every business guru, self-help, motivational person out there, but I'm also feeling actually okay with this turn of events.
I think it's because I've just decided to say "NO" a lot this year. Now, before you tell me how negative I'm being, just think of it this way:
2017 is the year that I say "NO" to:
- Saying yes (or even interested) to every Facebook invitation that comes along.
- Mindlessly scrolling on my cell phone.
- Accepting that mass consumerism and consumption should be a way of life.
- Stressing about finances, business decisions, life decisions, and (finally) trusting that Someone has my back.
- Worrying about what other people think.
- Comparing myself to others.
- Being jealous of others (or what they portray on social media).
- Following people I don't want to follow on social media.
- Not honoring and reserving my weekends.
- Boasting about how busy I am.
- Being so busy in the first place.
Those things all sound pretty good right? I thought so. In fact, I think that being able to actually say a resounding NO in today's world where we so often say YES to everything is a powerful statement. It takes guts. It takes knowing who you are (or faking it till you make it). It takes conviction of knowing what you want out of life.
So I still haven't actually written down any goals (they are, broadly: book more clients, earn a living income), but I feel good about 2017. My focus is where it needs to be. By saying NO, I'm cutting out distractions, concentrating on work, and learning how to be present and enjoy life.
I may or may not get referenced to as Grumpy Cat this year, but I'll take Year of the Cat (and saying NO) over Year of the Overbooked (and crazy and stressed and not having any fun) any day.
Who's in?