Start 2023 saying: I WILL…
Many New Years start with wishes, wants and hopes that somehow quickly fade as the year marches on.
Does that sound familiar?
It has rung true for me even as I was just looking at last year. Challenges and circumstances seem to corrupt the best intentions leaving those goals slowly dissolving into the world of impossibility. And in what feels like the blink of an eye, another year has passed and some of the results we want most are left unfulfilled.
Let’s not do that (again).
This is our year.
And to make it our year demands we step out of the world of wishing, wanting and hoping into a world of will. A world that makes commitments and works through the uncomfortable and the uncertain (you guessed it) #NoMatterWhat. It is only that pathway that will lead to the results you want for your company, team, community, family and even yourself.
One of the best stories about WILL I’ve heard in some time was shared with me last year after a keynote from Ed, an audience member at the event. Instead of paraphrasing, I’ll share with you the note he was generous enough to send me that left me with chills…
Hello Sterling— I had the pleasure to see you speak at the IHC meeting in Des Moines last week and enjoyed your presentation very much. Our table broke into a big smile when you displayed the “I WILL” slide. Most of the people at our table are Iowa State University Cyclones fans, and I WILL is the foundation of their football program.
You see, Jack Trice was the first black student athlete at Iowa State back in 1923. Unfortunately, during his second football game when Iowa State played at the University of Minnesota, he was targeted by Minnesota players and suffered extensive internal injuries during the game. He died 3 days later. Our football stadium is now named Jack Trice Stadium, and is the only college stadium named after a black man.
The night before the game, Jack wrote a note to himself that is very powerful. One phrase states,
“My thoughts just before the first real college game of my life. The honor of my race, family, and self are at stake. Everyone is expecting me to do big things. I WILL! My whole body and soul are to be thrown recklessly about on the field tomorrow. Every time the ball is snapped I will be trying to do more than my part.” [more of what Jack Trice journaled, here]
“I WILL” is now ingrained in the Iowa State football program, and a yearlong celebration of Jack’s life and legacy is planned.
That is WILL. That is how you make a difference, leave an impact and quite literally change the world. Thank you for sharing that with me, Ed.
This isn’t simply about football (obviously) or the team you’re rooting for, so let’s set our sports allegiances aside for a moment. I think that beyond some of the things we may want to achieve, there’s something deeper inside of us that we’re all called to achieve. An inner potential that yearns to leave its impact on the world. Not have the world leave its circumstances on your list of regrets. Jack Trice had that WILL. And so do you, if you’re willing to unleash it.
I invite you to start unleashing that potential by committing. Via this link you’ll find a page that says: I WILL _________________ #NoMatterWhat. In that blank, put what you’re committed to for 2023. All statements are welcome: big goals and big dreams or small steps and little achievements…whatever it is that you’re aiming for.
Here are the big categories we think about…
Health goals: weight to lose, diet to improve, better management of health issues like blood pressure or diabetes
Educational goals: new learning, accreditations and/or diplomas you want to achieve
Relationship goals: how to develop/improve existing relationships, grow new ones and/or breakdown communication barriers
Professional goals: a company to start or performance goals to hit
Financial goals: how and what you spend, save and invest
External goals: material things you want to have, own, buy or preserve
Emotional and mental health goals: how to feel, grow and develop, holistic health
Spiritual or creative goals: mindfulness and how you tap into something greater
Experiential goals: travel, adventure and life moments
Contribution goals: what you donate, volunteer or give back
Big or small, what’s most important is the commitment that you can make right here and right now. It might be a little bit uncomfortable… if it feels that way, you’re on the right track.
It’s no secret that 2022 is over. And this is our chance to realize any and every possibility in 2023.
Join me in drawing a line in the sand and turning those wishes and wants into WILL. WILL for that impact you want to create this year and beyond, #NoMatterWhat. And along the way, always remember, the #NoMatterWhat community and I have your back…even if it means helping to strengthen your resolve or getting support from others to get back on track if you waver or fall. You’ll be glad you did. And for those of us around you, we’ll be glad you did, too.
The world is waiting for that potential you’re unleashing and the difference your WILL will make on it.