This past year really flew by, didn’t it? So fast!
I’m happy to say that 2016 was an incredible journey, and some amazing things happened. We travelled to some beautiful places around Europe, spending time and sharing special moments with friends and family. I watched my amazing wife set up her new business — a special needs consultancy called Yellow Sun — and devote prodigious amounts of time to growing it.
There were some low points, too. Both my mother and my sister suffered some serious health issues, and there was a time there where we thought we were going to lose my mum. Thankfully, both have pulled through.
Focusing on the positive, I had the good fortune of reuniting with my old university buddies before the end of the year. I graduated from Manchester University in 1985, and a whole load of us — about a dozen in all — got together near the end of 2016. Many of us hadn’t seen each other since graduation over 30 years ago. The best man from my wedding was there, too. It was just fascinating to get together and see what everyone’s experiences had been like.
We made a point of having the reunion to commemorate one of the guys we lived with. I’m sorry to say that he was tragically murdered shortly after uni. He was a good friend, and it would have been his 53rd birthday, so we had a toast to him.
His memory was a big reminder about how precious life is. He inspires all of us to go out there and live life to the fullest. Last year, my wife and I focused on what we wanted to accomplish with something called the Goal Map, divided into health, finance, community, leisure, family, spiritual and our two businesses, The Claims Desk and Yellow Sun.
We reviewed the Goal Map once a month to make sure we were on track to do the things we intended to do. Some were crossed out, some added to, some with scribbles on the side — all a product of us actively engaging with our goals during the whole year. Last year, we encouraged you to do a Goal Map, and we hope you’ll give it a go this year, too.
Achieving what you want in life starts with breaking away from limiting beliefs and making things happen. It’s not a question of resources, but of resourcefulness. Please take action. The older you get, the more you realise how fast time goes. Have fun, help other people and take grasp of each moment — because you never know what’s around the corner.
When I started this newsletter for my business, The Newsletter Pro sent me a welcome plaque that I still look at every day for its powerful quote: “A surefire path to success is to take massive every action every day.”
And that’s what I did. I dealt with more claims and more customers than ever before last year. In fact, I tripled the number of claims we dealt with in 2016 compared to the year prior. This year, we’re looking to grow and expand and help even more customers!
Are you ready to do the same? Here’s your motto for this year: If you want to do something, just damn well go and do it. It’s your life, and you don’t need permission!
Don’t waste a single moment. Have a wonderful 2017.
Steve Lazarus
