Normally, when people focus on letting go of the stuff that is limiting them or holding them down, they look at the world around them. They might ask themselves, “Who or what is causing me to have negative thoughts, anger, fear, doubt, worry, frustration, pain, or sadness?” They then try to get rid of it or change it so that it suits them better.

Connect to purpose. All too many leaders have a surfeit of opportunities but suffer a paucity of meaning. Asking questions that bring us back to what is most meaningful to us personally, as well as to what we believe is most important for society and the planet, deepens our sense of purpose. For example, you might ask: What is my daily work? What is my life’s work? Similarly, reflecting in your journal on inspirational words from world leaders or wisdom traditions can act as an antidote to superficiality and parochialism. Here are two of my favorites:

“Listen. The more faithfully you listen to the voice within you, the better you will hear what is sounding outside without fear.”
—Dag Hammarskjöld
Economist and Secretary-General of the United Nations, 1953–1961

“We have a responsibility in our time, as others have had in theirs, not to be prisoners of history but to shape history.”
—Madeleine Albright

You must set goals worth fighting for.

Kriss Carr was only 32 when she was diagnosed with what doctors called an incurable cancer. Rather than accepting this diagnosis, she turned her life around and 10 years later is “thriving with cancer.” Oh, and she’s also running a popular wellness website, is the author of books and documentaries, and is a renowned healthy living expert.

When it matters, you can push yourself to do it. When you look at your goals and think, “Meh, I don’t really care,” you’re not going to fight your way out of a slump. Why would you? So drop the stuff that doesn’t matter to you and set goals that you truly can’t live without.This is what works for me, and it’s what works for other high achievers too.

In his book, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, Greg McKeown describes the lack of progress and productivity we suffer if we try to do too much. He argues that by focusing on just a few things, our highest priorities, we actually free ourselves to achieve more, be more creative and satisfied with our lives.

Just Do It! Do not look back, start small and stay moving forward ❤️