“There is no chance, no destiny, no fate, that can hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul.”

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Stop everything!

Set aside 15 minutes and do this exercise. You’ll need a pad and paper. You will need your phone. You will need to hold yourself accountable.

Step 1: Quickly now. Think of the one thing that motivates you to give your best effort no matter what. Do you have it? Write it down. Stare at it. Burn it into your mind.

What you write down should be something that motivates you to ALWAYS do well and right, no matter what. Where you will ALWAYS go the second mile, no matter what. The one thing where the effort, while it may be difficult and challenging, is something that you will NEVER give less than your best.

Step 2: Take 2 minutes (yes, set a timer!) and write down all the reasons WHY what you wrote down for step #1 is important to you.

Step 3: Take 2 minutes and write all the things that you WANT to do in life which are aligned with your motivations and your why.

Step 4: Circle the one that you MUST accomplish in the next 12 months. The one you pick, if you don’t do it, will create disappointment and regret when you look at this list exactly one year from today.

Step 5: Take out your phone. Take a picture of what you have written down. Set up a free account at Follow Up Then and then email that picture to this email address: monthly@followupthen.com. You will now receive a reminder of this list every month in your email. You can’t escape from what you said that you want to do.

Step 6: Do it. You have a year. Figure it out. If there are obstacles then you will have to find a way to go over, under around or through. The clock is ticking. Make it happen.