For James, planning happens once you already know what the results are that you\u2019re after. You then need to figure out what the steps are to get it.<\/p>\n
As humans, we often allow the past to dictate and constrain what we create in the present, which ultimately affects our future.<\/p>\n
People tend to get stuck chasing \u201cmore\u201d of everything. This can be more work, more employees, more items on the to-do list, etc. The result of this is that you\u2019re still doing the same thing, just more of it. You can only play this game for so long, as you only have a finite amount of time and energy!<\/p>\n
He says that to get around this, ask yourself what your next 12 months will look like, but through the eyes of someone who has no prior beliefs, opinions or judgments about what is possible or realistic.<\/p>\n
As an exercise, take out a piece of paper and create three columns across the top: \u201cWins,\u201d \u201cWhy\u201d and \u201cLessons.\u201d Then mentally go through the past year and identify your wins, both big and small, why it was a win for you and what you have learned from each. With these lessons, consider how you can become a better person and grow because of them. Repeat the above process for your \u201closses.\u201d These will be the things that didn\u2019t quite go as planned during the previous year.<\/p>\n
Phoebe notes that with this exercise, you should examine all areas of your life, including spirituality, fun or adventure and health and fitness, and not just look at business activities.<\/p>\n
For her, her big win was her recent Sonoma event because it was something that she\u2019s wanted to do for a very long time. The lesson she learned was that imperfect action can create great momentum, and that she needs to trust her intuition more often. Finally, she learned that success comes when she remembers that it\u2019s not all about her, but it\u2019s about service to others.<\/p>\n
James shares that not hitting his downloads goal of 1 million in the first year of this podcast can be considered a loss for him. He looks at it like this because the results (about a half a million downloads this year) were pretty far off the goal, but the lesson that he took from this is that they\u2019ll be stepping up the promotional and marketing side of things in 2017.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s important to remember that this exercise shouldn\u2019t be used to judge yourself, keep score or compare yourself to others. It\u2019s really about the lessons; the more losses that you experience just means you\u2019ll learn more from each.<\/p>\n
The next step of the exercise is to (safely!) burn the paper, followed by saying this affirmation, or something similar to it:<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you for these experiences. I have learned all that I have needed to learn from this. This is it and it is perfect. I now declare these complete and release them.\u201d<\/p>\n
After completing this first phase, write down the following question and answer it in past tense:<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we met up 12 months from now and you had just had the best year ever, how would you describe it to me?\u201d<\/p>\n
When answering this question, consider the following: What happened and what new experiences did you have? What accomplishments did you achieve and what was the essence of how you felt throughout the year? What did you do more of and what did you do less of? What made this year great for you?<\/p>\n
By doing these exercises, you\u2019re just writing the book that is your life so that you can experience the having of more say in what you create.<\/p>\n
James Wedmore<\/h4>\n