I woke up yesterday morning, January 1st, at 3:00 am. I realize that many people who were celebrating the new year hadn’t even gone to bed yet. But, I had hit the sheets shortly after midnight and now, here I was wide awake… and, in a panic.
How could another year have gone by so quickly? Where did the month of December go? Was this time whizzing by what “old people” talk about? Crap, am I really getting old???
So, I got up and went to sit with myself. I realized that the “panic” I was feeling was because of all of the unknown before me and all of the major changes that will take place this year for me… stopping the show on WCBM, taking a month off (not really – but not interviewing), re-designing the way WomanTalk Live will be going forward, relocating to Vermont and establishing a whole new life in a new community. Holy cow. Lots of ahead of me.
I took a few deep breaths and looked over some emails, articles I wanted to re-read and notes I had made to myself. The first one I came across made me smile. I subscribe to TUT (Totally Unique Thoughts)… A Note from the Universe and receive special, daily treats, which are customized to mention things I’ve told them are important to me. Here is my 12/31/13 note:
“All in all, 365 more days in paradise… and only one request of you:
DREAM BIGGER.
Bigger than even your successful wildly popular podcast, Ann, since that’s pretty much in the bag now.
Coolio?
Let’s do this,
The Universe”
Definitely coolio.
And, then, as if by magic, I re-read Susan Bishop of Unlocked Box’s posting – 10 Move You Forward Questions About Beginnings and Endings. They are the absolute perfect questions to guide me through this transition period. And, not just me…anybody. Try them.
So, here I go. Over the next month, I’ll be staying in touch with you and keeping you informed on “what’s next”, sharing one of my favorite features – the WomanTalk Live 5, updating the website, and just doing what I need to be doing to start anew with the podcast.
And, what about you? I want to hear from you and know what’s happening in your life. I know you must have dreams and desires you’re working on for this new year. Perhaps Susan Bishop’s questions can help move you in the right direction, too. And, maybe a little daily note from the Universe will remind you of your dreams when things feel a little tougher than usual.
Let’s make 2014 ROCK! You in? Coolio.
AS ALWAYS, thank you for being so real about what you are feeling – I really resonated with everything you shared and I’m so excited about all the AMAZING AND “HOLY COW” what’s next plans you are in process with. In short: I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE WHAT TRANSPIRES FOR YOU AND WTL. For me: A big part of 2013 was spent learning about lean start ups. Specifically, what does it take to launch a big vision the lean way and what are the underlying principles that guide some of the most successful entrepreneurs? So, last year, my clients got an earful of phrases like “minimum viable product” and “fail faster.” My own What’s Next is being propelled by these principles, too, and while I still don’t have all the details pinned down, I’ve created the platform for it, it’s in production and I’m very excited about what will transpire this year for me too. I realized that last year I had the vision but not the know-how and this year I have more know how and some of the vision has changed. I have to say, it’s very easy to let “I’m learning” get you stuck – one of the premises of MVP is to let go of that idea of needing to have all the answers and let the actual marketplace help you learn. Anyway, thanks for providing this forum to share our What’s Next’s and also for linking to my 10 questions – I appreciate that very much – I have the first question written nice and big on my white board.
Thanks for the “atta girl”, Susan! Always feels good to get them when one is getting ready to TAKE A LEAP! I love what you’ve gathered over the past year and shared with us – and, I know there is much more to come. It’s all about thinking and doing things in a different way AND about really paying attention to the stuff you love doing. THANK YOU for all your wisdom. I, too, look forward to watching you light up the sky this year. Let’s keep reminding ourselves….. “If not now, when?”