As 2011 comes to a close, I have to look back at all that has happened in my life this past year, and wonder WTF happened?!? It’s been a year filled with ups and downs, joys and sorrows, and a complete shift in my focus. In my life and with this blog.

Up until that fateful day in September, when I interviewed Penelope Trunk, my main focus in life was to quit my job and become an online entrepreneur. My world revolved around hating my job, writing about hating my job, and telling my wife how much I hated my job. I was not in a good place and as you can tell from my writing, was quite bitter, angry, and resentful (among other things).

And then the interview happened and my whole thought process was questioned. The interview did much more than just bring new readers to my site. It opened my eyes to what I was missing, why I am doing this, and to the fact that I was full of shit.

Yes, it was a much needed slap in the face and because of it, I am looking at things differently and doing things differently now. In fact, in my mini self development sabbatical, I decided that I was going to start a project of sorts. One that would change my life for the better and would also help others in the process.

Of the many books I’ve recently read, one specifically gave me the idea for my project. It was then when it hit me that I needed to playing a bigger game with my life. Just living to quit my job and become an entrepreneur wasn’t enough. And while my vision has been short sighted for many years, I realized that life is not about chasing the next best thing, trying to find all the solutions to my problems, or achieving magnificent things.

For me it’s about finding happiness in my life. It’s about embracing each day with excitement. It’s about enjoying the limited amount of time I have here and doing something that fulfills me.

Is it blogging? Is it being a super successful online entrepreneur? Is it about personal training and teaching people how to live healthier? Is it about sitting on roof top deck drinking Fat Tire beer in Boulder Colorado? Is it about accepting life for what it is?

These are some of the questions I intend on answering.

I plan to challenge my personal best, my self imposed limiting beliefs, and my comfort zone like I have never done before. And I’m doing it in 2012.

The “Project”

I don’t really have a name for this whole thing, but I’ve been calling it my project thus far. I have not been purposely trying to be dramatic or suspenseful about the whole thing, I just didn’t want to share too many details before their time.

I will be officially beginning my project on January 2, 2012 and my post that day will explain exactly what is going to happen. For now, I will tell you that I’m doing something that scares me, excited me, and is overwhelming all at the same time.

I will also tell you that I am involving a small group of individuals who will be taking this journey with me. This blog has become very self centered over the last few months and it’s time to start focusing outward as well. There is no reason for me to do this publicly if I’m not going to be trying to help people. I could just as easily not write about what I’m doing.

Actually, that’s much easier…

Action, Not Words

I could easily write a book on all the lessons I’ve learned  in 2011 or about all the advice I’ve received since the interview. But I’m not going to do that.

For those of you who read my blog regularly, you know all too well that I over think and analyze everything to death. And when it’s dead, I analyze it even more!

No, it’s time for action now.

No more 2,000 word posts talking about my feelings or about what I want to do. 2012 will be the year I start doing shit. Whether I fail or succeed, it doesn’t matter. I am doing the things I think will help me become a better and happier person and regardless of what it ultimately looks like, I’m going for it.

And I’d love for you all to be a part of it.

The whole focus of my blog is going to be one of positivity, hope, and inspiration. It’s going to be about living our lives in a better way. It’s going to be about finding what makes us tick.

We will never achieve anything great by setting small goals. We must learn to aim high with our goals and take massive action towards them. Yes, the “A” word. I’ve learned this lesson the hard way and as much as we want to stay in our comfort zones and do what we’ve always done, we can’t if we want a better life.

My project isn’t about spending a month challenging myself. It’s not about getting all the things on my to-do list checked off. No, it’s about using the next 12 months to start my life over. It’s about taking the miserable, tired, frustrated, and lost person I have become and changing it.

It’s about recreating my life by doing things I’ve never done, having conversations I’ve never had, and being a person I’ve never been.

And I’m not doing this alone. I have chosen a handful of great people who will share their journeys as well. It’s going to be exciting, full of highs (and I’m sure lows), and will be the real deal. This is life.

Yes, 2012 is going to be a good year.

A BIG Thank You

thank-you

There are no words to describe all the kindness that’s been shared on this blog nor for all the people who have taken their time and spent it reading and interacting here.

Without the help of my community, this blog would be just another guy talking about hating his job. But it’s taken on a life of its own and has become something very special.

The following people deserve recognition for the advice, wisdom, and support they’ve given me and I am so very thankful to have them as friends and peers.

  • Marcus Sheridan. Over the last few months, Marcus has become a true friend and mentor and I’ve been incredibly lucky to have gotten to know him. Rarely do we find a person who impacts us on a deep level and is truly interested in our success and happiness. He’s given me some of the best advice I’ve ever received, taken his valuable time to support me, and asked for nothing in return. This will tell you all you need to know about the constitution of this man.
  • Danny Iny. Danny, better known as the Freddy Krueger of the Internet, has become an invaluable resource for me on a personal and business level. He has been incredibly gracious with his time and knowledge and has inspired me on many occasions. He has been the rock for me when I doubted myself or considered quitting. I consider myself blessed to have captured his interest and for the fact that he has joined me in my journey in 2012. And although he will be behind the scenes during the year, his wealth of knowledge and coaching will be critical to my success and I’m so excited that we’ve formed this relationship.
  • Penelope Trunk. What can I say? She put me on the map with the ass whipping she laid on me during our interview. I’m not sure what else can be said about this that 50,000 words haven’t already said. And that’s just in the comments. Penelope gave me the greatest gift she possibly could have when she questioned my goals, motives, and actions. It forced me to look truthfully at these things and I didn’t like what I found. Thank you Penelope.
  • Paige Burkes. Paige is a person whose name I cringe at when I see it in the comment section or in my inbox. Why? Because she tells me exactly what’s on her mind, good or bad and pulls no punches. I won’t lie, I’ve been offended and even hurt by some of her comments but that’s because of the painful truth in them. She has been through the shit I am going through now and is trying to help me get through it as quickly and painlessly as possible. I’m very fortunate to have someone like her to keep me honest and true to myself.
  • Allison Reynolds. I received an email from Allison back in July telling me that she had been reading my blog and listening to my Podcasts and had been in my situation. She offered to help me with the business aspect of my blog and I took her up on it. Over the course of several months, we spoke frequently, shared ideas, and worked towards creating a product together. And then my inaction and lack of direction began to frustrate her. And rightfully so. Ultimately she decided to go her separate way and I can’t blame her one bit.  I kick myself in the ass for blowing the opportunity to work with her because she had some incredible ideas and we could have done great things together!

Of course there have been many more people who have contributed to this blog and supported me in some fashion. I can only say a sincere “thank you” to everyone and look forward to an incredible 2012.

So get ready for big things here and if you’re curios about what lies ahead, please sign up for email updates.

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