Anything Can Happen

A few weeks ago I went to a local musical production of Mary Poppins with my family. The Disney movie Mary Poppins was a childhood favorite so many songs were familiar and I found myself humming to them throughout the performance. However, there was a song that I didn't recognize called "Anything Can Happen" and it had me captivated and in tears by the song's end. ​
Below is an excerpt of the song's lyrics:

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If you reach for the stars...all you get are the stars
but we've found a whole new spin.
If you reach for the heavens
You get the stars thrown in.

Anything can happen it's a marvel
You can be a butterfly
Or just stay larval

Stretch your mind beyond fantastic
dreams are made of strong elastic
Take some sound advice and don't forget it...
Anything can happen if you let it.

--Broadway Musical "Mary Poppins"

These lyrics really resonated with me. The stars may seem impossible to reach but, what if I stretched my mind and dreams beyond even that, and reached for the heavens...the stars would be just thrown in as extra! I am ready to stretch and grow! I am ready to dream BIG in 2018. I want to be a butterfly...no way am I staying larval!

I've spent time this past week reflecting on 2017 and planning for the year ahead. (Click HERE to read my post about the #oneword I chose and my action plan) I recently read an awesome book called 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done by author Peter Bregman. He had some awesome advice that really allowed me to focus on the things that matters most to me in 2018.

WHERE ARE YOU?
His first words of advice were to slow down, pause, and stop to reset. He encourages to look above your current situation to see things as they really are; beyond what you expect them to be. Once you've done that, expand how you view yourself to see your extraordinary potential not settling for being less than who you are. This week I escaped for a few days for some solitude. There is something special that happens when you can get away from all distractions. I was really able to focus on what truly matters most. It was just what I needed to see where I was at and where I dream to go. You can read about it in my Rest. Relax. Recharge. post.
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WHAT IS THIS YEAR ABOUT?
The next step is to find your focus for the year by looking at these 4 elements:

• Leverage your strengths: What are you really good at? When we play the game that's best suited to our strengths, we are much more likely to win!
• Embrace your weaknesses: What we consider to be our "quirks" may actually be our secret power. Think about how you can use your weaknesses to your advantage instead of viewing them as a liability.
• Assert your differences: Don't try to blend in...own your differences. What makes you unique, also makes you awesome. Be yourself, because no one else can be you!!!
• Pursue your passions: What do you love? Where would you be most likely to shine? What do you do in your spare time? When we understand our obsessions it helps to understand what naturally motivates us. According to Peter Bregman, "Obsessions are one of the greatest tell-tale signs of success." When something is important to you, you're more likely to persist at it. Work is much easier and sometimes actually can feel effortless, when we truly enjoy it.​

As I reflected on each element, I found that they meshed beautifully with the #oneword focus I had chosen, "Amplify". Now that I have identified my strengths, weaknesses, differences, and passions, I will be able to best spend my time on the things that matter most and related to my focus.

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PLAN YOUR DAY!
The book discusses an 18-minute plan for managing your day. It breaks down like this:

Morning ( 5 minutes)
Take 5 minutes at the beginning of your day to sit down with your to-do list. Decide what will help further your year's focus as well as feel successful and productive.  . Move those things off your "to-do" list and onto your calendar with a time. 

Refocus. (1 minute every hour of work day)
Take time each hour to refocus by interrupting yourself with a bell.  Set your watch to vibrate or ring on the hour to keep yourself focused.  When you get the alert, take a deep breath and ask yourself if the last hour was productive.  This will allow you to own the hours rather than the hours owning you. 
​
Evening: (5 minutes)
At the end of the day, ask yourself these questions:

• How did the day go?
• What success did I experience?
• What challenges did I endure?
• What did I learn today? About myself? About others?
• What do I plan to do differently and the same tomorrow.
• Whom did I interact with?
• Is there anyone I need to to update? Thank? Ask a question of? Share feedback with?​

Here are some suggestions Peter Bregman gives to stay focused on your to-do items:

1. Do it immediately. Knock off the things that you can tackle and get it done!  Often things that we procrastinate on can be literally done in minutes.
2. Schedule it. Move an item from your "to do" list to your calendar if you aren't going to do it immediately.  When we give our "to do" items a time to be accomplished, we are more likely to do it.
3. Let it go. If you aren't going to do the task immediately or are not willing to schedule it...let it go.
4. Someday/Maybe. If it's still on there in 3 days and you aren't willing to let it go, move it to a waiting list that you may do someday.  Eventually you may be ready to either do it or, let it go completely.​

I found 18 Minutes to be a insporational book with a lot of great ideas to help you focus on the things most important to you in the year ahead. "Anybody can do anything as long as 3 conditions exist: ​You want to achieve it! You believe you can achieve it! You enjoy trying to achieve it!", says Bregman. I am committed to being laser focused on my #oneword this year! I am reaching for the heavens and expecting the stars to be thrown in because...

ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN!