Every New Year dreams are launched. Resolutions made. Goals are set. We spend time reflecting and wondering about what the future holds. Will we reach our goals? Will we know success? How can we improve and adjust?
As a mindset and communication pro, I have a special vantage point. Everyday, I help trailblazers carve out extraordinary futures. I observe and analyze conversations, behaviors, results and how all three interface to make vivid, unprecedented futures real -- in record time.
What I've discovered is that when they rethink their use of words and design impactful conversations, they have all they need to confidently bet on themselves. I want to help you do the same in 2015.
Ask trailblazers, game changers -- all those who leave their mark on the world -- what they know is that the future is not something they were given. It was what they created by consistently swinging out and betting on themselves. The same can be true for you.
It starts with adopting three simple ideas:
1. The future you most want is yours to create.
The future where you experience that your life matters.
The future that recognizes through the ups and downs you are nurtured by vast riches.
The future where you work on what matters most to you, and enjoy the recognition and rewards for the contribution you make.
The future that holds all of your hopes and dreams.
All of that and more is yours to create.
Somewhere over there, in your corner of the world, I suspect you know that the future is what you make of it. You know it's not about luck or chance. Many experts will tell you building that kind of future is about hard work and resilience. I say -- it takes more than that.
2. The way to achieve your hopes and dreams is through your conversations. Lots of them.
You can work harder, or you can work smarter. Owning the power of your conversations puts you on the fast track to spectacular results. There are many different types of conversations, but let's look at two:
1. Conversations you have with yourself.
2. Conversations you have with others.
Conversations are the primary way you interact with the world. They bend life. They open doors. They create opportunities. Conversations morph into convictions -- they can even distort your perceptions of the past. Without a clear understanding of this one principle I'm sharing with you today, even the mightiest of wills and the hardest worker will be tamed.
The conversations you have with yourself shape your perceptions of the world -- the experiences you have, the opportunities you see, the challenges you face are all directly linked to what you say. Your behaviors, intuition, and perceptions all stem from conversations, oodles of them intertwined and bundled together.
Experiences materialize through the words you use to describe them. As those experiences are retold and relived, they solidify and leave you forgetting they were your words to begin with! The fears and obstacles you endure are sustained and emboldened by conversation. Your achievements? You guessed it. Just the same.
So let's agree, the life you have, the results you produce, the habits you cling to are all a product of conversations. Lots and lots of them.
If you're ready to make 2015 the year you confidently bet on yourself, keep these 3 ideas in mind:
1. The future you most want is yours to create.
2. The way to achieve your hopes and dreams is through your conversations. Lots of them.
3. What we say goes. Especially when it comes to conversations with ourselves.
2015 is yours. What will you create? New perspectives. New priorities. New Intentions.
Conversation is the medium of this masterpiece called your life.
And well designed conversations, when delivered with intent, work wonders.
Annette Saldana is the CEO of ASG Training & Development and Founder of Irresistible Requests, teaching women how to identify what they want and ask for it -- with confidence. Connect with her at annette@irresistiblerequests.com or Twitter: @annettesaldana.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.