Be a GAME CHANGER !

The year 2012 is already looking challenging. Predictions have been made about the world coming to an end in 2010. Wikipedia even has a separate article dedicated to what it calls the 2012 Phenomenon.

Why go through myriad doomsday scenarios, lets look at the positive side of things. I predict that we will be on this planet for a long time to come. We will celebrate 2013 ! Now imagine yourself at next year’s NEW YEAR EVE PARTY (2013). At that stage, do we want to look back and feel bad that we could have done more???  I hope instead you could have done more than you planned to. But...

What is your plan for 2012?

2012 is a Leap Year, and many great achievements have occurred in leap years. So, we could consider this an omen, but better still, we could consider it an INVITATION - to make the year the most special one ever. Lets look differently at the game called life, and lets decide to be star players first, and then we can become GAME CHANGERS too.

So what does it take to be a game changer?

I think we need to use new paradigms, and we need to develop new habits to make our world a better place. Doing what we did this year... will give us – more or less – what we got this year. If we are happy with that, then let’s not change. However, if we want more, then we need to do more!  

Lets look at ways we can BE more and DO more, in 2012.

1.     Look Ahead

• Who will you be by the end of 2012?  First - Who are you at the end of 2011?
• How different do you want to be in a year from now?
• What gaps do you see in that process, and how will you plug those gaps?

If we have to evolve, we should know what to discard, what to retain, and what do develop in the next few months. Remember identifying Who we are, and What we want are two of the most important things that we should know about ourselves.

2.      Build Muscle

We must continually building our strengths and learning new skills. We spend a lot of time trying to eliminate weakness. But alas, once we learn something, it is normally difficult to unlearn it. The trick here is to forget about the weakness, and instead work on enhancing your strength/s.  Working your strengths to higher levels, or gaining complimentary skills should serve us well as we progress on the success highway.

3.      Expand Consciousness

Awareness is one of our key attributes. We can benefit just by being present to what we are doing and saying. Life is even more exciting when we are aware of how people are reacting to us. We can alter our conversations accordingly, and by doing so, we can maintain better relationships. Misunderstandings cause enough damage in relationships. Being aware of how we are affecting others, reduces the risk of misunderstandings.

4.      Clarify – Don’t Jump to conclusions

One of the biggest problems that most relationships face, is assuming the other person is like us. Remember, this is one of the biggest mistakes we can make. Each of us is unique, and therefore people are NOT like us. They are different. The moment we start to pay attention to people - what they say; what they want; what they mean.... we begin to understand a bit of who they really are, and what they are really saying. Make it your favourite pastime, to UNDERSTAND People and you will reap rich dividends. The best way to do this is not to understand just the meaning and the semantics of the words that are spoken, but rather...  try to understand what is really being said. Read between and beyond the lines. Asking questions will bring further clarity. When in doubt, Ask! Even when you think you are sure ... Ask anyway!

5.      Prioritize

We spend so much time analyzing a cricket match that we have absolutely no control over, and we even have a plan on how the team of our choice should play the game. Yet, we do not take too long to decide what is really important for playing the most important game of all – THE GAME OF LIFE. When was the last time you made a list of priorities? What are the skills, activities and goals, that have made it to your list of TOP PRIORITIES for 2012? What timeframe have you allocated for each goal? Who are the leaders/mentors you have identified that can guide you along your chosen path?

6.      What difference will you make?

An undying legacy, is not built on how much money we have in the bank, or how many homes we own. It is built on:

• How many people’s lives have we meaningfully touched?
• How many people have we enhanced in some way?
• How many leaders have we created?

The primary purpose of life is - To live to the fullest.

The higher purpose of life is to inspire others - To live to the fullest.

I wish your life expands as you grow to the extent you desire, and hopefully you will reach beyond what the universe expects of you.

Happy New Year!

Happy Life!

Ian Faria.