How I plan to achieve a better 20:20

We love the Christmas lights, the smell, the sound and the feelings. I trust we are deep into the end of the 2019 holidays while as we hope for a better 2020.  But hope is not a strategy. I mean, more importantly, how are you planning for 2020?

Here’s following through on my promise, that I will be sharing my confidential steps (steps I have successfully used over the years to generate amazing results. And I definitely will use it for 2020). So, let me just call this article, How I Plan to Achieve My Own Theme for 2020.

First of all, I don’t do New Year Resolutions. I do themes; it refers to one or at most 2-central word(s) that guide my year and then with a mind map all around it. I apply the Be-Do-Have model to it (The Be-Do-Have is called the Triad of Manifestation –

It refers to the apt definitions of things to BE, what to DO, and what I should HAVE to be those things. Mixing the sequence up gives a different result.  It is also metaphorical to the BSQ Pyramid- Think Big (Be), 2. Act Small (Do), and then 3. Move Quick (list out the measurable Haves) layers. And please, let it be guided by a theme, one central word for a year).

Before every new year starts, I summarise my theme for that year in one word (2015 was Synergy (the most relationships/ alliances were created that year, even our powerful community HBC was formed that year). Well, 2016 was -GROWTH, and 2017 was CONSISTENCY, 2018 was NEW CHAPTER (in 2018, I started three new companies.  I proposed and got married this same year, I moved houses, had new inner circles of friends, signed a bi-weekly radio show agreement, became a columnist on Business Day. In other words, I opened a set of new chapters in my life I will be building on. In 2019, I became a much better person to my team, wife and society. I guess the stakes are higher as 2019 saw the arrival of my first son) and as for 2020, I have defined it as the year of Acceleration through Serial Leaps. Once you define your themes, you need a few more steps as outlined below:

1. Read a book/audio/visual on your chosen theme – for example since mine is on Acceleration, I am reading a John Maxwell book on Growth, definitely to be completed before the year ends.
2. Go on a 3days fast to commit the theme; in my case “ACCELERATION” into His hands.
3. In that deep realm ask for light, discipline, insights and the spirit of follow through. Then, come back to the physical and begin to talk about it, first to yourself and to others (to yourself, it dips it deeper into the realms of consciousness and unconsciousness, and to others, it puts you on the spot to deliver. This is called accountability).
4. Re- align the 2019 mind map to ACCELERATION. And then create touch points based on your own wheels of life (Say 1. Family: Things you want to be, broken down into sets of things to do and have. You can loop the same process for 2. Spirituality, 3. Health, Business, 4. Finance, 5. Socials, 6. etc). These wheels of life refer to things you should BE (Be better in, Be better with). And then create measurable to ‘DO’ and have per touch points/ Wheels of life.

The high point of these exercises is that you create things you’d do differently. And then create consistent reminders to self as many times as you can remember. I suggest at every quadrant of a daily clock (three hours intervals of a 12-hour clock. It actually does have a spiritual meaning too). To make it effective, try at those points to practice stillness and meditation (not just as a spiritual exercise but as a mental exercise). Each time the process is done, comes as a self-reminder too. Ensure that you practice meditations, affirmations and pausing in between the day through stillness to allow your themes, growth mind maps and the component task catch up with you. After a while the loop becomes automatic and subconscious to you. That’s a great place to be; for 2020. I and my team at Hexavia will be willing to help you even create deeper strategies through a retreat or goal setting one or team session.

The secret sauce is in the process of writing down your themes, creating a wheel of focus and then detailing the measurable goals, reviewing them constantly, and making incremental progress on them. I suggest you recite them last thing at night and first thing in the morning as a ritual, habit or part of your prayers.

5. Other side hacks may include having daily to do lists as a support to them. Stay on a task or thought/thought process till you’re sure it is done. Consciously, do not allow your mind travel off by any distractions. An example is, if it’s not time to social media or calls, don’t go there and keep a mental timer: stop watch of each activity.
6. Find a partner (an accountability partner) that share similar theme as you.
7. Find a quote that summarises your theme and use it as your social media display pictures, wall paper and on the door, and mirror where the sticky notes are.

Every year, I see people make the same mistake. They leave the new year to luck and prayers mainly. This is perhaps the reason why most cross over services and crusades flourish even though they yield lesser results as compared to their hypes and multitudes. A few days ago, my friend shared an experience, it was a prayer point he heard by a lady in a vigil. She kept screaming at the vigil, “dear lord, every new year, I’ve been believing you for a fat bank account and a thin body. I’m screaming again so you can hear me, fat account and a thin body lord, please don’t mix it up again”.  I find her prayer hilarious.  I wish I knew her, or that I could play God and talk back to her. But even if God was to, it will be through meditation, insights and follow through. Meditation is how the universe connects and speaks to us. Invest in this, this season.

There is a level of depth you need to enter a new year. But the celebration that comes from the New Year distracts us most time from properly planning for it.  Proper planning prevents poor performance. If only you can have a personal retreat. Perhaps one that can help you be still, and then take a few days to go on a fast, write down the insights that comes from it. Then, have an accountability partner to share your ideas with and help you follow through on it. You need focus most in January. But sadly, in today’s noisy world that can’t stop talking, that can’t stop thinking too many thoughts without focus; for an entrepreneur an idle mind isn’t always a devil’s workshop, a foolish and unguided one is. To become deep enough is to invoke from your spirit great ideas, we must all learn to at intervals stay still. Its most popular method of achieving this is through meditation.

Don’t turn this season to just a time for rest and enjoyment. Leverage on the rest. In the words of Joyce Meyer, when your body and spirit is resting, your emotions are okay, your mind is okay, and your will is at peace and in sync with all three triads of your manifestation, not resisting the forces that be to your favour.

The secret formula for planning the New Year is stillness, meditation and planning.

Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together. It requires work. As a matter of fact, true growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck where you do not belong.

For me, I have come to realise that if I keep doing what is easy, my life may be hard. But if I do what is hard, my life will be easy. You can either pay now and play later, or you can play now and pay later. Whatever you decide, there’d always be a payment.

I believe every serious-minded person or organisation should right about now have plans for a corporate retreat towards a better 2020. Let us at Hexavia as management consultants know how we can help with that or you/your organisation can join our 2020 corporate strategy sessions. But in the meanwhile, detail your individual and corporate goals, setting targets, using vision boards and strategic mind maps. We’d be willing to help you out.

EIZU UWAOMA