The Stories You Loved This Year
As I look forward to the untold treasures another trip around the sun will bring, I like to reflect on the last 12 months—my successes, my failures, my moments of joy, and times of despair. I like to look at the goals I set for myself last year and assess how my actions measured up to my ideals. What did I accomplish or not accomplish? What can I do to be more productive next year? Like every year, my reach exceeded my grasp, but taking stock of what I have achieved has served as a valuable reminder that I get to choose the kind of person I want to be. I made a choice to be a better husband, to be a writer, to host a podcast, to become a musician, and to be a father. When you reflect next year will you reflect as a different person—a better person?
Full disclosure: the second half of the list has strikingly fewer check marks.
I keep track of my goals in Evernote. Try it for free HERE.
As you can see, bringing this podcast to life was one of my primary goals this year, so I want to say a sincere thank you for being part of that achievement.
Now, here are the top five episodes you enjoyed this year:
1. Letter From My Future Self
The goal of the Future Self Podcast is to encourage a daily lifestyle that our future selves will thank us for, so writing this letter as my future self was one of my top priorities when the podcast launched. This was a deeply personal post for me, and I’m glad to see it resonated with you. I’m sure tapping into people’s irresistible urge to click on ultrasound pictures didn’t hurt the stats either. For a renewed feeling of gratitude, this year, give this exercise a try.
2. 10 Tips Networking Ninjas Know
It’s no secret that having a large social group, or network, is a valuable resource. So, this year make a commitment to actively engage in building your network and you can expect to see the results in your bank account next year.
3. John Azar: Private Equity Commercial Real Estate Investor
From fleeing war-torn Syria at 16 to playing hacky sack with Eddie Vedder to breaking out in the commercial real investment world, John gives us a glimpse into the personal habits and routines responsible for his success. Best moment: “It’s great to have dreams. It’s fantastic to have dreams. But, dreams don’t pay the bills and dreams don’t drive your ass to work. So, you have to every single day work your dreams in order to get them to be a reality.”
4. Vic The Chili Man
I’ve had some fantastic interviews this year, but Vic brought the side-splitting funny. I’ve been standing in line for years listening to the Chili Man pontificate on everything from Panther’s football to lingerie, so when I started the podcast, he was on my early list of people I wanted to talk with. And, I have to tell you, he did not disappoint. Check out this episode with one of my favorite entrepreneurs and numero uno on Yelp’s 2016 Top 50 Places to Eat in Charlotte. Best moment: “If you aspire to little then you’re going to achieve little. I want to be a fucking legend.”
5. Starting Up With Jeff Brokaw
Long before Jeff Brokaw was sporting one of the most recognizable faces and beards in the Charlotte Startup scene he was laying the groundwork for entrepreneurial success. From his first business venture shining shoes to vetting early-stage startups with the venture capital firm SierraMaya360, Jeff has been a brilliant example of the grit and determination necessary to achieve success in a competitive world. When you’re finished listening to this powerful episode check out Jeff’s recent bio in the Charlotte Observer.
2016 was undoubtedly a tough year for the world, but it was also filled with both personal and professional successes for myself and many of my listeners. With this new year upon us, I encourage you to write down at least one or two things you would like to accomplish in your life and then start developing an action plan to make them a reality. Remember, you get to choose exactly who you want to be every day. Be somebody different next year. Be somebody better. Be someone your Future Self will be proud of.
A sample of my list. I fully expect you to hold me accountable this year.
Content Links
You can find me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, & LinkedIn.
As always, the podcast is available for download from the iTunes Store, Google Play, Stitcher Radio, and TuneIn. And, please, if you enjoy the show please hit that subscribe button and give us a 5-star rating in the iTunes store.
Are you thinking about taking the first step? Are you hesitating? Already moving toward your goals? Wherever you are right now I want to hear about it. Send me a message HERE.
