I was sitting at my desk organising my calendar last Monday when it hit me that we’re over halfway through 2024 already.

Personally, the past six months have been amongst the best of my life. Reflecting back, I’m amazed by how quickly time passes and how much can change in what feels like the blink of an eye — something that most of us are guilty of overlooking in the hustle of everyday life.

The transformations I’ve witnessed in my own life and the lives of my clients are simply unreal, but I’ll save those stories for another time.

The message I want to get across to you today is…that before you know it, what you think is impossible today could be your baseline in just a few month’s time.

It doesn’t matter how your year started — if you look back with a sense of regret or dissatisfaction, wishing you’d done more, less, worked harder or smarter — what matters, is what you choose to do with what you have left in front of you.

Success, however you define it, is influenced by many factors. But, if you want to give yourself at least a fighting chance, there are three things that make the difference between those who “make” it, and those who don’t.

You need to know your priorities, have radical clarity on your goals, and be willing to do ‘the thing’ you resist most or deem impossible. And I’m inviting you, to try them for yourself so that you can set yourself up to be amongst the ones who “make it”.

Starting with the first step — knowing your priorities.

Every day, countless things compete for our attention, pulling us away from what we initially set out to do. Internal doubts, external demands, unexpected opportunities, and the relentless surge of distractions — all of these can easily derail our progress, scattering our energy as we’re pulled in countless directions, leaving us stretched thin and struggling to make meaningful progress.

It’s a scenario I see all too often.

Ambitious individuals with big dreams and the right intentions, finding themselves overwhelmed by daily demands and struggling to guide themselves to their highest aims. They start the year with bold promises, only to find themselves six months later wondering where the time went and why they’re not closer to their goals.

The difference between those who achieve their dreams and those who don’t isn’t talent, or luck, or even hard work (though that certainly plays a part!). The real differentiator is their focus — their ability to cut through the noise, ignore the non-essential, and consistently direct their time and energy towards the things they have committed to.

They know their priorities and act upon them.

And therefore, I encourage you to carve out some quiet time for this reflection. The key is, to be honest with yourself about where you are, where you both want (and need!) to be and to clarify why growth in this area is important to you.

Start by asking yourself:

Where is life begging me to drop in more?

What 3 areas of your life do I want — and am I called — to grow in?

What do I need to accept, let go, learn, decide or do in this area of my life?

Why is this important right now? If I change nothing, what will happen?

If you need a more visual aid to help you out, I’ve attached a blank Wheel of Life template that I use in my coaching at the bottom of this email.

Whilst awareness is a critical first step, it’s only part of the equation. In both my personal journey and through observing my clients, I’ve learned that clarity isn’t just helpful, it’s crucial. The more clarity they bring to their goals, the more straightforward it becomes to maintain their focus.

They don’t make vague promises; they have a concrete, achievable endpoint in sight, transforming every challenge into a stepping stone toward that ultimate goal.

Which leads us to step two — revealing radical clarity on your goals across your primary areas of focus. Defining clear endpoints, and even more so, understanding exactly what achieving those goals looks like.

And this is where clarity and direction come into play. It’s about painting a vivid picture of what success in that domain looks like for you.

Vague intentions along the lines of “I want to get healthier” or “I want to improve my business” will ultimately do you more harm than good. They allow us to flutter around, procrastinate, and dodge the necessary actions required to achieve our goals.

Vague goals lead to the same, all too familiar, results.

So, instead, I invite you to be specific so that you can move forward with clarity and direction — giving yourself concrete, measurable outcomes that will tell you when (and if!) you reached your goal.

Here are a few questions to help you clarify your goals:

What does success in these areas look like in tangible terms?

What specific milestones will I have reached in six months?

What are the potential challenges I anticipate, and how will I face and overcome these successfully?

How has reaching these goals shaped my character and capabilities, and how has it enhanced my ability to pursue further ambitions?

What impact has achieving this goal had on my life, business and/or relationship(s)?

One final thing to consider here, is that it’s crucial to ensure that your goals are aligned — making sure they support, instead of sabotage, each other.

With this in mind, make sure that the goals you set are both within your control and capacity to achieve them. Your primary focus areas for the next six months should harmoniously interact, allowing progress in one area to fuel your progress in another.

Whilst setting your priorities and goals is crucial, the ultimate test of our growth often comes through facing what seems daunting or outright impossible. My experience, and that of many clients, has shown that stepping into our greatest challenges not only tests our resolve but also accelerates our growth in other areas of life.

This is why, when working with my clients, I challenge them to commit to a goal that stretches their boundaries or pushes them into unfamiliar territory.

Some might tackle a challenge like running their first ever marathon, to test (and grow!) their physical and mental resilience. Others may focus on finding clarity and peace by going on a 10-day vipassana. And then others finally plan a long, postponed dream journey as a starting point for making joy and fulfilment an integral part of their lives.

Whatever they choose, it’s something they resist most or deem impossible, and that helps them to develop the character and skills needed to succeed in the goals they have set for themselves.

And so I invite you, to identify a goal that represents a significant stretch.

Based on the three primary areas of focus and the goals you’ve set for yourself, choose one challenge, one “big thing” — something that, as you read this right now, seems impossible, something completely new that stretches you beyond your comfort zone or fills you with significant resistance — and commit to achieving this goal by the end of the year.

If you’re willing to take part (and give what it takes!) I invite you to reply to this email with your specific goals and the challenge you’re going to take on. And at the end of the year, if you can send me proof that you’ve accomplished your one big thing, I’ll give you 50% off a one-on-one intensive call so that you can kick off 2025 with even more clarity and momentum.

Do we have a deal?

PS. Here’s the blank Wheel of Life template that I mentioned earlier.