Welcome to Season 3!  Some of the seven involve working with each other, some involve working on yourself.  None of which are easy.  The hell with easy.  We can make this coming year better than the last two.  Here are seven things that you can do immediately, that I believe will help.  Take a breath, have a sip of coffee, and enjoy the season opener.  Crank it up.

1. Be outrageously kind to each other
2. Put education at the top of the priority list.
3. [warning I still love you]  Talk about politics face to face and have an actual conversation where both people grow.
4. Avoid hot issues on social media especially in the comment section.
5. If you are going to binge news watch Fox and MSNBC and divide by two.  That’s where the news really is.  The truth is most likely when they say the same thing.

Don’t join team MSNBC or team FOX.

Separate facts and what actually happened from people’s opinions about what happened.  Realize news shows are 24 hours per day and they have to fill up the time.  Don’t forget it’s about shocking you into watching today and to keep you coming back.

6. Work on yourself

1. New year’s resolutions are you making one?

What is a resolution?:  A firm decision to do or not do something.  A pledge, intention, or decision to work on a project to better yourself.

I’ve asked a lot of people if they have any new years resolution and the vast majority say no.  Why?  - No doubt it’s fear of failure.

People think why put yourself through something hard that has a very high probability of failure.  I get that!

1. Should you make one

A pledge, intention, or decision to work on a project to better yourself - Should you do that?  How is the answer not yes?

In season one I answered a student’s question, “What if I don’t feel good enough?”  (Season 1 episode 8).

Saying you’re good enough or something is just good enough is drawing a finish line and that’s not good.

We all have stuff to work on - How is life not a continuous path of improving ourselves?

1. If you don’t know where to start

You should definitely check out S2 Ep 7-9 on how to set goals, break bad habits and start new ones.

Goals can be overwhelming and if you set what I call a doomed goal because it’s too broad like “I want to be more healthy” or “I want to get ripped” or “ I want to be more productive.”  These goals have great intentions but you can’t measure them at all.

Goals can be also overwhelming if you set them too focused.  Like if you chart out where you want to be everyday for the next 6 months.  Or like if you say I want to lose 30 lbs.  If you lose 19lbs are you a failure?

Instead have goals like:  I’m not going to touch my phone for the first hour of the day, or until I’m out of the shower and had breakfast.  Or everyday I’m going to put my shoes on, walk outside and take at least 10 steps.  Or I’m going to read for 2 minutes per day and set the book where you can’t miss it.  What can happen then is you can become a person that does those things?

7. Stop comparing yourself to other people.

Compare yourself to who you were yesterday.