As I write this, I’ve been publishing for 273 consecutive days. I’m only a few months away from reaching my goal of publishing daily for a full year.
This journey has been a bit of a roller-coaster ride.
In short, I burned out, I went on break, my grandma passed away, and I’ve been fighting exhaustion on and off more than I even care to admit.
But at no point did I stop publishing. I just kept going.
And as I recently began work on an epic resource guide for Music Entrepreneur HQ, there’s one thing I realized:
I haven’t acknowledged myself for all that I’ve accomplished this past year.
And I’m starting to see that acknowledging myself matters more than I even realized.
In 2019, because of the personal development programs I was taking, I was actively encouraged to acknowledge myself. And I did. Honestly, I was quite amazed at what I was able to accomplish, especially during the three-month program I was taking at the top of the year.
But I got away from that, mostly because of unprecedented external circumstances.
I can now see, with greater clarity, just how much I’ve grown. As result, I’ve accumulated value bombs, and I’m preparing to drop them on my audience. As I’ve been working on the resource guide, it has felt like creating possibilities for myself as much as it has felt like creating possibilities for others.
All that time and effort was not in vain.
So, for anyone who’s been following along on this journey, I want to thank you for indulging me and for putting up with my mood swings.
Because I know I haven’t always been in the best of moods. I haven’t always felt like showing up to inspire creatives and creators. My efforts have felt scattered at times. I even expressed my frustrations a couple times, drawing from past negative experiences that probably could have been left alone.
But I kept showing up anyway, because I knew I would thank myself for it, and hopefully, you would derive value from it too.
I’m acknowledging myself for what I’ve accomplished. And I’m thanking myself for being in service of my future self. Because now I can see the value in what I’ve started.
Take a moment to acknowledge yourself, too. You’re a legend.
According to the mirror principle, everything that occurs outwardly is a manifestation of what’s going on inwardly.
What we see outwardly is mass hysteria. Division. Mistrust.
Some say we are facing a health crisis.
What we’re really facing is a crisis of identity. And that’s as result of what’s been going on inwardly.
For a long time, there’s been an aspect of ourselves we’ve been unwilling to face. Psychologically, it’s the part of you that you don’t want to admit to having. It’s your shadow side.
All this time spent in isolation and “lockdown” has brought that unconscious part of yourself forward. Try as you might, you can’t bottle it up or shove it back down.
And that causes discomfort.
But your job isn’t to change or even heal that shadow side. And projecting onto others isn’t productive either.
The truth is, you have always had a shadow side, and you always will.
The only thing you need to do is acknowledge it. Sit with it. Understand that it’s there for a reason. Learn to love it even.
Dismissing it, ignoring it, or trying to medicate it is only going to cause more inward turmoil. Remember – what manifests outwardly is a result of what’s going on inwardly.
You may have been able to keep it contained to this point. But we’re at a new crossroads now. Humanity is awakening.
If you have been feeling discomfort, then know that you will continue to feel it until you embrace your shadow self.
You may think that someone else is responsible for the ugliness you see in yourself. That’s not true, because you are the one witnessing it.
We are much too quick to label emotions as good or bad, when emotions are just human, and they are often pointing to something we need to face or pay more attention to.
A year ago, there was no urgency to engage your shadow self. Now, it’s urgent that you do.
Disclaimer: I am not a psychologist. If you need psychological help, please seek a qualified professional.
Pay what you want for the first issue of my digital magazine, The Renegade Musician.
Only a small number of those people have documented goals.
An even smaller number of people have a strategy to reach their goals.
And, only a small percentage of those people ever action their strategy.
That should get us nice and close to the 8% mark.
Forget law of attraction. I’m not saying it’s not valid or real, but if you’re serious about achieving something, you can’t leave it to chance. Don’t succumb to the myth of mysticism.
Sure, if you’re present to your reality, you will stumble upon one resource and then the next. You will come across someone who can help you and then another.
But this will only happen if you are committed and in action. Here’s why:
“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too.
All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favour all manner of unforeseen events, meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.
Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic. Begin it now.” – William Hutchison Murray
Said another way, Fortis Fortuna Adiuvat (fortune favors the bold).
So, if you’re serious about achieving your goals, follow this simple process:
Step #1 – Set Clear, Specific & Measurable Goals
Keep it simple. You don’t need to adhere to the conventional five-criteria SMART goal to get the result you desire. We all know the difference between workable goals and ambiguous goals.
This goal is too ambiguous:
Become healthier this year.
But this goal is clear, specific and measurable:
Lose 10 lbs. by March 20, 2020.
Step #2 – Document Your Goals
Use pen and paper and put them into writing.
Keep your goals somewhere you will see them daily and review them.
Step #3 – Create a Strategy
This is your step by step plan.
If you’re planning to lose 10 lbs., for instance, your plan might include items like:
Eat organic
Exercise for 30 minutes per day
Get in bed by 10 PM and get to sleep by 11:30 PM
Your plan can include as many items as you wish.
Step #4 – Action Your Strategy
Do something every day that moves you in the direction of your goals. Use your plan as your guide.
Final Thoughts
Achieving your goals isn’t easy. But it is simple. So, don’t overcomplicate the process.
Set your goals, write them down, strategize and get in action.
If you don’t achieve your goals the first time around, try again. Create a new strategy based on what you now know.
The Leading Musician Coach
Hey! I’m author, entrepreneur, and musician David Andrew Wiebe. Learn more >
