What have you achieved in 2022? What do you mean "uh..."?!
Discover more from And It's Up to You! by Antoine Martin
What have you achieved in 2022? What do you mean "uh..."?!
I've looked at my year and I was surprised with the result. Will you take 15 min to give it a try?
TL;DR:
How you describe your past year tells a lot about who you are (and how big your tolerance to BS is).
Taking ownership is key. Focusing on what you want to remember is up to you.
Having a victim's mindset sucks, don't do it! And make sure to sign up đ for more tips on leadership building and personal growth hacking.
December. Already. Damn, time flies!
At the same time last year, I was about to land in Paris for a three-week Xmas trip (that ended up lasting for five months in the end), and I was wondering what I'd want to get done over the coming year.
A year later, Paris looks more like a coffee shop by the beach in Hong Kong, and looking back tells me that a lot has actually happened.
Funnily enough, most people will never take a moment to look behind and think retrospectively.
They keep going. They keep rushing. They hope for the next holiday break, a few months from now, but in the meantime, they keep their nose to the grindstone and get on with what the f*** has to be done.
Typical conclusion when you ask them how things go?
âUh, it's been a busy year!â
âThank God the winter break is coming!â
âHopefully next year is going to go smootherâŠâ
Well. You know what?
That sucks.
Why?
Because like it or not, you get what you tolerate. And end-of-the-year complaints like the ones I just mentioned suggest that your tolerance level to BS is gigantic. And you're paying the bill for that, by the way.
Hope isn't a strategy.
Complaining about how tough life is wonât get you anywhere, and hoping things will get better won't help either.
Why?
Because there are two categories of people as far as âtaking ownershipâ is concerned.
Those who do, and those who don't.
Those who don't take ownership of what happens to them have a humongous tolerance for BS, and they accept whatever life throws at them.
Especially when sh*t hits the fan - excuse my French.
They feel like they can't do anything about it, and they complain about carrying the weight of the world.
You know what, though?
There's a name for that kind of mindset: it's called being a victim.
Sounds bad? I know.
But you've got to call a spade a spade, right?
If being called a victim hurts your feeling, I'm not sorry. My job is to call BS when I see it, and that's why you've signed up for this, by the way.
Like it or not, the only valid way to respond to my provocation is to tell me what you plan to do about it.
Fire me? Sure, you can do that if that helps you sleep at night, but you'll only make my point stronger.
Decide to make change happen for yourself? Now we're talking.
Those who refuse to be victims have one very simple card to play. They take ownership of whatever comes next, and if sh*t hits the fan, they pull the plug or change the fan. Period.
They decide to stop feeling bothered by what they can control.
They decide to focus their attention on what they can influence.
They look back to assess. They look ahead to move on. And they take the deliberate decision to energize themselves.
And then life becomes a very different story.
Look back. Look ahead. Energize yourself.
Here's what I see when I look back on 2022.
Yes, I've worked way too much.
Coaching, mentoring, facilitating brainstorming workshops, being an entrepreneur, creating content, writing for me, ghostwriting for others, teaching at uni, starting the day at 8:30 am in a time zone, starting another day when another time zone wakes up around 4 pmâŠ.
Did I manage to do everything I wanted to do? Nope.
Did I match my targets in terms of recording online content? Nope.
Did I find the time to get started on that book I want to write? Nope.
Did 2022 suck? Nope.
Am I tired? Sure, but there's nothing to be a victim about here because beyond the hours I've put into working and building, there are a bunch of things I'm very proud of.
I've left a stressful lifestyle to live by the beach, 365 days a year. That's what December looks like here.
Mondays are off. Perfect for paddle boarding.
Fridays are off too. Perfect for writing.
My sunglasses have become part of my work routine.
(Something like that)
Speaking of work routine, I've realized I could spend six months a year away from home, yet the business would keep growing because there's a team.
2022 was Paris. 2023 will be Tokyo, Kyoto, HanoĂŻ, a cruise in Ah Long Bay, Chiang Mai, and probably some well-deserved beach life around Phuket. Did I mention Lisbon?
What else?
The team is growing and we build a trusting relationship with partners who reach out to us because they feel aligned with what we fight for. That's worth a lot more than just hours of work.
I've become a master coach. I now train people in the team, three years after starting.
I was fortunate to work with people who decided they wanted to change their lives, and who trusted me to kick their butt along the way.
I've worked with passionate entrepreneurs who shared their energy and stamina with me and trusted me to get them even further.
I've contributed to creating a couple of mid-management teams in companies that didn't have such a thing, and I was given the backup I needed to make those mid-managers emerge as leaders. Thank you for your trust, people, that means the world to me.
I've been challenged by people with strong characters, who impressed me at first, but eventually reminded me that holding on to an idea is the best way to take (or keep!) The lead.
I've realized that the way I do things is working, and it's okay to come from wherever you come from. I've officially fired whatever was left of my imposter syndrome, to say things differently.
I've started to take âme timeâ to write a newsletter about topics I deeply care about (leadership and personal growth hacking). And I've (sort of) managed to stick with it. Thanks for being here!
I've been fortunate enough to teach critical thinking and communication to a group of fifty uni students who accepted to go outside of their comfort zone with me (and Ron, my partner in crime) and gave us the best advertising ever in the end.
I've been fortunate enough to be encouraged constantly by friends who give me a push, one lunch at a time, just because they follow and show me they notice.
Oh. And becoming a dad scared the hell out of me and the little one has added a lot more things on my plate (got to be honest here). But it's totally worth it and I'm enjoying every moment of that - this year has been a blessing in that regard.
How about you?
Long story short?
Yeah, I'm tired like everyone, and I'll enjoy my winter break in the best way possible.
But I only want to see the positive side of my year.
No, I haven't done everything I wanted to do. Still, 2022 was probably the best year ever, and taking a moment to look back tells me I've done everything I could to take the lead and walk my talk.
And I'm thankful.
Now, here's some homework for you.
Hit reply to this email, and take fifteen minutes to tell me what you've achieved this year.
I want to know what results you've obtained over the past 12 months.
I want to know what you're proud of. And why.
And since we're at it, I want to know what you have in mind for 2023. (Warning: tell me you'll take a gym membership and youâre fired).
That's it. That's all I'm asking. Fifteen minutes of your time. Free coaching, the rest is up to you.
Taking ownership of your year is your responsibility, and you have no valid excuse. Just saying!
Until next time,
A.