This year, the first Friday 13th of the year falls in January.
Not only is it a date filled with superstition that things go wrong, a day filled with bad luck, but also, in some quarters it has become known as ‘BSE Day’ – when we ‘Blame Someone Else’ for everything that is wrong!!
Yet, you and I know that we get in life what we expect in life. So, if we expect bad luck, and we consciously court it, we get it.
The “blaming and complaining culture” is not only becoming a pandemic but is damaging us, damaging our friendships and relationships, damaging careers and even damaging businesses.
All genuinely successful people begin by taking one fundamental step: – to realise and believe they are responsible for their own success – that in the end it’s down to them, “if it’s to be, it’s up to me!”
So this year, instead of being a bad luck harbinger and heading for a duvet day and ducking the world, on Friday 13th, why not proactively plan to have an awesome day of taking responsibility, embracing accountability and making our own luck…good luck. So if we shift the mental FOCUS to the good things, that’s what you will create more of, because what you expect, happens!
Imagine then if we start Friday 13th May with a different mindset and claim “I’m taking personal responsibility to have a brilliant day” we will get that.
Let’s turn Friday 13th from BSE (Blame Someone Else) day to TPR (Take Personal Responsibility) day.
Here are 13 tips to help create that mindset…
1. Choose your attitude:
* No more blaming and complaining. Don’t blame the traffic, government, weather, your boss, your suppliers, customers, subordinates, anyone or any external factor for the way you feel. Always remember you are free to choose your attitude.
* Be happy & get lucky. I call this the ‘Napoleon Factor’ as Napoleon when choosing his senior Generals always asked “Is he lucky?” – the French being “Est-il hereux?” literally, ‘Is he happy?!’ Great attitudes create luck!
* The power of a pause. Cut up in traffic? Pause before you react. Overlooked at the checkout? Pause before you react. Cut off during that meeting? Pause. Turn knee-jerk reaCtion into Creation of response (“response-ability”), simply by the way you C it.
2. Know your purpose: Have goals, and if you haven’t already, write them today. If you have them already, read them, refresh them in your mind. Live on PURPOSE today.
3. Your foreground is more important than your background: Let go of the past, in order to move forward into a bright future. Stop looking back, and face the fullness of life ahead of you. The past is simply a set of lessons for you to equip you to embrace now and the future. Let go of any grudges that you are still holding onto, big or small.
4. Make your changes: If something is bugging you, work out what you can take action on, and do that. Forget the stuff you can’t influence. If you are unhappy about something in your life, make a change. Don’t bleat about it. Talk to the right person about it. Do it. Make a change today.
5. Be enthusiastic and energetic:
* Act it: Even if you don’t feel enthusiastic or excited about your day ahead, act as if you are! Pump up your energy levels and you might just become it.
* Say it: Change your greeting: when asked “how are you?” most people say “fine”, “alright” or “not bad” which is a bit limp. Change to “Great, thanks; and you?” and mean it… and watch the difference.
* Be it: SMILE. Go on.
6. Create a clutter-free environment: Have a clear out to clear your mind, and your FOCUS. In order to attract your new life, clear out your past… and literally clear out the clutter.
7. Take control: Create an Action Plan today. Not a “to do list”, but an action plan based on your priorities and goals. Focus on achieving 3 action goals today and everyday.
8. Use visualisACTIONs: Create mental images of positive outcomes for every situation. Imagine the positive meeting, in advance, and you’ll have a positive meeting. Imagine hitting a deadline way before the deadline, and you will. Imagine the perfect parking space and you’ll increase the chances of getting it. Learn to have faith in yourself, and in your luck.
9. Write a personal Thank You letter today: Write this to someone who deserves your thanks. And write out 7 reasons for you to be thankful today… yes, you. Thankful.
10. Recognise opportunities and take them: There are no coincidences in life – look for the signposts that present themselves to you. They are opportunities…and you need to be ready for them. Learn to trust your intuition … when you have clear goals, your gut-feeling can signal ways forward that you would otherwise miss. Have the courage to take these opportunities.
11. Do something good today, just for fun:
* For you. Or share with a good friend. Self-care and efficacy can brighten up any day! Everyone deserves to feel special.
* For someone else. However great or small, do something kind for someone else, and tell no one of it. Don’t seek praise or recognition. Just do it, and enjoy being kind.
12. Write a journal: YOU are responsible for your life story. Write down at least one “highlight” at the end of each day… start TODAY.
13. Be a good luck seeker: Decide that on this Friday 13th May 2016, YOU are going to have an amazing day of good luck, love, fortune and connections! If you adopt this mindset you can be sure there will be a superb opportunity presented for you to take.
Have a great day!