Here are my 20 biggest lessons I’ve learned in the last decade that I’m carrying into 2020. Hope it inspires you to do something similar:

2. Think abundance, not lack — I seek to use my resourcefulness and ingenuity to create new/more money…it is futile to try to simply stretch what I already make.

3. What I do each and every day is everything — habits and systems dig my foundation, build my impact, and sustain my legacy.

4. The best opportunities arise in the impossible situations — In the face of my largest battles, I realized the biggest was in my own sense or desire for control. When I released the control for my desired and limited-perspective outcome, new and better results became possible.

5. Leadership is about empowering others, not being in charge — surrounding myself with smarter people than me, building repeatable processes, and delegating management are the most responsible and liberating leadership actions I can take. Making my company revolve around the team will far surpass every act of making it about my overwhelmed self, my narrow-myopic opinions, or limited-bandwidth quest to control. When I let go, I multiply advancement for all of us.

6. Life happens FOR me, not TO me — NEVER the victim, I am actively creating my life, even when the shit is hitting the fan. My challenges are giving me strength and wisdom, the needed advantages for my future — life prepares me for what life is preparing for me.

7. There is no failure — All of my life’s challenges and mistakes are the tuition paid for living my incredible life.

8. My inner critic is an A-hole — He is a coward and does not have my best interests in mind. He is actively sabotaging my progress, because he believes it easier to destroy the grounds I’ve gained than to change. I keep him in check by elevating my beliefs and identity to a higher state.

9. Relationships are difficult but worth the work — I seek to understand and collaborate with those that feed, empower, and love me. I am also willing to walk away from those that do the opposite.

10. Most of my life’s frustrations are self-inflicted — I have feared my imaginary problems, my anticipated hardships, more than MISSING THE ACTUAL OPPORTUNITY… screw that, I’m not going to exert energy or worry over non-existent problems.

11. Stop fearing other people’s opinions — Those who are NOT invited into my inner circle have no opinions that matter. Stepping out to make money, launch products, start businesses, or simplify my life do not require their approval or concern.

12. You imitate those with whose you associate — I surround myself with those whose lives, leadership, and lifestyle I admire and respect, They inspire my best and are given permission to challenge me, ask hard questions, and guide the formation of my character, integrity, and leadership.

13. Action triumphs all words — No one can respect what “I’m gonna do”, only what I’ve done. When you aren’t taking action when you know you should, you’ll justify why you aren’t. When you take action, and prove to yourself that you can do things…you gain momentum. (Complacency — — is where the bitter and critics dwell) — those with words and no action. What I do and how I show up dramatically accelerate my probabilities for success.

14. I DESERVE — I am worthy of high-quality love, all good things, and amazing opportunities.

15. Money is good and helpful to the world — It is critical that I realize my poor relationship with money and release all of my doubts, fears, and negative beliefs about money.

16. I am successful — my confidence and performance are rooted in my knowing that I do the work, deliver the results, and have the capacity to go even higher.

17. Playing small has never served me — I will not shrink back, be intimidated, or fear anything that causes me to step up, level up, or grow up. I must elevate my SELF in order to elevate my experience.

18. Investing in myself is the best thing I’ve ever done — I spent over $10k this year on coaching and learning… I’ve made more money, gained more confidence, and grown tremendously faster as a result — I am a different, improved man because I bet on me.

19. Generosity, abundance, and possibility unlock creativity — my years in a mindset of lack and victim mentality closed me off to who I really am. I will not see myself limited or incapable — I am, I have, I live MORE.

20. The present is where my power is, the past and future are exhausting — I cannot change or recreate what was and the quest to attain something to make me happy are counter-productive. TODAY is “The Only Day Actually Yours” — as such, today, I choose to be happy, powerful, and productive. And every win I get on this day propels me into even more the next.

I CAN ONLY BE HAPPY AND FULFILLED RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!

Ten years ago, I was unemployed with only the skills of running a couple of non-profits. The economic downturn had taken a toll on my livelihood and now, I was simply doing the best I could with what I had… or so I thought.

I went on the write a book, speak on a couple of hundred stages, work with Fortune 500 clients, and travel around the world!!!

Ten years before that — I had gone through self-sabotage, workaholism, porn addiction, alcoholism, adultery, divorce, and depression.

Now, entering this NEW decade, I’ve never been so prepared, grounded, and confident.

I’ve never been so focused and settled.

It’s going to be the best decade of my life…

this I know in my core.

This is also my hope for you… that you are entering the best and most profitable decade ever!

Not some sort of #BestLifeEver Instagram life, but one of substance, fulfillment, and impact.

May this also be our best decade as a society — may we all grow to appreciate one another, celebrate our unique differences, and value our individual contributions.

Hey 2020… we’re coming after you.

And we’re ecstatic about it too!!!

Lastly, I’ll leave you with this — one of my favorite quotes:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

~ Marianne Williamson

About Angus Nelson:

Angus is the Director of Development for Golden Spiral Marketing, helping B2B tech companies realize their market potential with human-focused, integrated marketing strategies. Angus is also an Executive Coach helping high-performing men navigate & accelerated their next big step. Angus hosts the “Up In Your Business” podcast and is an Event Speaker having spoken for brands like Walmart, Whole Foods, BMW, Coke, & Adobe. Lastly, he’s an avid Green Bay Packers fan and lover of nachos and whiskey… but not at the same time.

If you want to live a life you’ve never lived, you have to do things you’ve never done.

Why is it that the moment you decide to change something in your life, all hell seems to break loose?

• You decide to start that thing at work — but now, your manager assigns new tasks.
• Starting a running program becomes your quest, but 9 days of rain quench the endeavor.
• Get creating that thing you’ve wanted to sell and suddenly, the next season of that favorite show is released.
• Finally have that money to do that thing you’ve been planning, then the car breaks down.

Or worse, you want to quit that habit, break off that junky relationship, or start that new wellness program and get promptly confronted with inner doubts as to whether you can actually fulfill the decision.

The things that will most improve our lives will, at first, scare the hell of you.

Dare the Decisions

There’s some weird part of our brain that LOVES status quo, our COMFORT ZONE. We love things to stay just-the-way-they-are. Everyone of us is extremely comfortable in our own chaos — it’s known, predictable, and consistent… Any time we want to disrupt this, it’s as if all the universe tries to STOP us.

Even those closest to us, friends and family, will often challenge your life-improving decisions.

No one truly loves change because it’s hard.

Call out the BS

In Jen Sincero’s book, “You Are a Badass”, she refers to the Big Snooze — that thing that juxtaposes every good possibility in your life… our own self-limiting beliefs.

“Same goes for when we rid ourselves of limiting subconscious beliefs that have been holding us back and take a giant leap outside our comfort zone. It’s a detox of such staggering proportions that sometimes it can feel like The Universe is conspiring against us–trees fall on our cars, our computers crash, we find our significant others in bed with our best friends, we get our identities stolen, we get the flu, our roofs cave in, we sit in gum–when in reality, The Big Snooze is creating chaos in an attempt to self-sabotage and keep everything as is, instead of moving forward into unknown, yet desperately wanted, new territory.”

Sidenote: I loved interviewing Jen for her new book on episode 064 of the Up In Your Business Podcast.

Lean Forward

I want to encourage you today to lean into the fears, challenges, and setbacks.

Challenges are a sign: you’re going the right way!

Don’t lean away, but rather lean forward, into the gusting winds of change. These winds can’t stay forever and they will eventually die down after they recognize the power of your resolve.

• Chicks break through shells
• Butterflies burst their chrysalis
• Seeds fight through soil
• Grass grows through concrete

Challenge prepares and strengthens you.

And lastly, know this (again, from Jen Sincero) — It’s just as easy to believe we’re awesome as it is to believe we’re giant sucking things. Takes the same amount of energy. The same amount of focus.

Why not simply believe that…

YOU ARE AWESOME!

Hey there,

Do you want the confidence, influence and career you deserve? I can help.

Get my free e-book to start you on the process.

I promise you won’t regret it.

Be amazing!

angus