Vision 2020: Make This Your Year to Get ‘It’ Done

Is it really about to be 2020? Is that possible? Wasn’t it just the 1960s when I was a kid in the Age of Aquarius, and we were landing a man on the moon? Wasn’t I just disco dancing to “Staying Alive” from Saturday Night Fever in the ‘70s and graduating high school? Didn’t I just have big hair, “find myself” in college, and get my first real job in the ‘80s? Didn’t my wife and I just build a house and start having kids in the ‘90s? Well, you get the picture. Another new decade is on the horizon.

You see, I  was born in 1960 so this is a BIG year for me personally as I will turn 60. 60! When I was a kid, I considered 60 to be pretty old! In fact, the average life expectancy for males in 1960 was a mere 66.6 years! While I am certainly hoping to make it past the average life expectancy (now 79 for men), hitting 60 is a milestone birthday that brings mixed emotions as one might imagine.

The old sports injuries hurt a little more these days and my brain is in need of a memory upgrade. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could simply purchase an external hard drive for expanding our own memory? I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s not too far away from becoming reality.

Given that it is the start of a new decade I want to propose a question to you. What is your 2020 vision for you personally, for your family, for your career and for society? The week between Christmas and New Year’s is the perfect time to do your “You Review.”  Put it in your calendar right now and set aside at least one hour for “visioning” so you can start 2020 on the right foot.

The toughest part of any “You Review” is figuring out what your “it” is. What is that one big vision that you have for the new year and new decade? If you are like most people you will only give this a fleeting thought and almost certainly won’t put it in writing, even though research has proven that goals in writing are significantly more likely to be achieved.

In my own “You Review,” I like to start off by counting my blessings and focusing on all the dreams and goals that did come true in the past year, and in this case, the past decade. The “big one” for me professionally for the decade is easy. Playing a lead role in securing the $88 million gift from Terry and Kim Pegula and being a part of the oversight team for the construction of Pegula Ice Arena at Penn State easily stands out. For 2019 specifically, I hit a number of big milestones for my business including the completion of the audiobook version of “The Power of Pragmatic Passion.”

My own “Attitude of Gratitude” starts with family and especially my wife of 30 years, Heidi. She is patient, compassionate, hard-working and a true servant leader. She is so selfless and such a caring soul. We have handled most of the challenges that life has thrown our way very well. We have much to be thankful for, starting with our own children.

Our children may not always appreciate just how proud we are of them. When you try to tell them, they think your being sappy or just using parent-speak. Well here it is in writing. We are extremely proud of you and so glad you still like us enough to talk to us often and to come home for the holidays. Our daughter, Brianna, works for Boston Scientific as an executive field sales associate based out of State College. Our oldest son, Jonathon, lives in Mountain View, Calif., and works in Palo Alto for tech start-up AppLovin as a software development specialist. Our youngest, Ryan, just completed his first semester in Penn State’s Smeal College of Business and made Dean’s List.

I am grateful that my parents, Joe and Angie, are healthy and still a part of my life. I am also blessed with great friends, colleagues, mentors and coaches. All have helped guide me personally and professionally.

What didn’t get accomplished in 2019? A number of goals and objectives, such as doing a TED Talk and creating a YouTube channel. But that’s why the “You Review” is so important. This is the time to analyze what did and didn’t get done and determine if your goals were unrealistic or if you need to pivot and make adjustments in the execution.

The number one item on my 2020 list of goals is to fulfill my personal vision to help others to live fulfilling, meaningful and purposeful lives. I also want to take better care of myself physically and specifically keep my promise to Dr. Andy Cappuccino, Dr. Bob Mooney and my physical therapists at Atlas that I will do my neck and shoulder exercises daily. Another important goal is to continue to nurture my money so I can nurture my retirement dreams.

A few suggestions to add to your list of goals for 2020:

1. Identify your top five core values and put them in writing to use as a guide when you make big decisions. 

2. Write out your very own personal vision statement.

3. Put your goals for the year in writing and post them where you will see them daily. 

A few other suggested goals that are pet peeves of mine: to stop obsessing over things out of your control;  turn off the 24-hour news cycle; put your digital distraction devices away and be more mindful of how you spend your time; cut your screen time in half on all your devices and TVs and engage in more human interaction. Get out, do things and experience life! Be nice to people and reach across the aisle to better understand those with a different political view than you and to find common ground for the greater good.

As you work on your own personal vision, resolutions and goals be intentional about making this year special for you and others in your life. Maintain a 20/20 vision on your vision for 2020. Stay focused on the dreams and goals you want to achieve in this first year of the new decade. 

My New Year’s prayer and hope for all of you is that you have a joyful, fulfilling and purposeful 2020 and beyond. Dream big. Keep it real. Get it done!