Being aware of this tendency to focus on what wasn’t is the first step in moving from a failure mindset to a success mindset. When you think back at the end of a day or a week, what are the top three things your mind goes to? Do you look at success or failure?

“Stepping out of your comfort zone” seems to be the phrase of the decade. We often hear it used when someone is describing what enabled them to make a big move in their lives.

Anyone who has paid any attention to what I have been saying over the past few weeks is fully familiar with my metaphor of life being a journey – a road we are on. Here is another part of that story – there is no final destination. Your drive doesn’t end until you actually run out of gas with no filling station in site

It is not uncommon to strategically review our businesses to ensure we are growing thoughtfully and purposefully. Why not apply the same practice to the person you are and the one you aspire to be? No business ever grew to greatness without some kind of a plan. What is your plan to leverage all the assets of you and minimize the liabilities, as the CEO of your life?

Have you ever thought about how beneficial it would be to have your very own Board of Directors? A group of people specifically focused on supporting you as you navigate all the aspects of your life. A panel of experienced individuals invested in the focus you place on career, family, kids, health, and relationships. A group of people who are your GPS to help navigate the ebb and flow of competing interests towards living the kind of life you want to realize.

It seems hard to imagine it has been a year since the world changed from COVID-19. In a year where we have lost so much, take a moment to recognize what you have gained. Honor your capacity to take on a challenge, stay the course and bring yourself to the other side.

Powerful women. These words seem to create a vision of those who have crashed through a glass ceiling, famously challenged an injustice or forged a “first” achievement. We think of the very public faces of women who seem to have an unbreakable spirit, superhuman strength and enduring commitment to rise above, against the odds.

We have all heard the phrase “born leader” suggesting the personality you are born with predetermines your potential. Similarly, much has been written that birth order drives certain personality traits and associated behaviors. Is there truth to this?

Our families are our first experience within an organizational structure. Be it a start-up, a small partnership or in my case, the one pictured above - a highly structured hierarchical machine, this is where we first form the stories we tell ourselves.

The past year has moved all of us in multiple ways. Economic and social challenges, the shift to a virtual existence, changing expectations and altered and competing priorities are just some of the impacts of COVID on our professional lives.

Developing greater self-awareness is the first and most important step in investing in yourself. It is about recognizing and understanding how you show up to others as well as owning how you think about yourself. How can you become more self-aware?

The start of the New Year is when many of us determine to reset our priorities. These resolutions often reflect our desire to live healthier and more fulfilling lives – to be better leaders or make a major life change.