9 Insanely Actionable Tips to Have Your Best Year Ever in 2020

Growing up, my mother would always tell me, “You’re so impatient.”

And she was right.

I know that “Good things come to those who wait” (maybe), but I’ve never been one to do much waiting.

I want my big projects finished–yesterday. I want results and now. I want to be a “yuugeee” success–no later than tomorrow.

Can you relate?

Listen…

That drive…that hunger…that impatience is what separates you and me from everyone else. While others are content to wait around until the universe dumps success in their laps…we know that the only good things that come to those who wait are the things left by those who hustle.

But…we need to remember that as much as success loves speed…it also takes time.

You must be ruthlessly impatient with yourself (taking action, doing the work, and making changes fast), while patiently waiting for the results of your actions to show up in your life.

Success might not happen overnight. But if you follow the right processes, it can happen faster than you currently believe possible.

And today, I want to share a list of the 10 most important processes you can implement in 2020 to achieve those big goals and dreams you’ve set for yourself.

If you’ll do these ten things everyday, I promise, these little habits will compound into huge results and you’ll look back on 2020 as the best year of your life.

1. Get Up 15 Minutes Earlier

Let me be blunt.

Unless you’re one of those weird genetic freaks who effortlessly wakes up before the crack of dawn without an alarm you do not need to join the “5 am Club.”

I know that every guru and their second step-aunt tells you that a 5 am wakeup time is mandatory for success–but it isn’t.

And most of you reading this will get more out of yourself and your days by prioritizing proper rest, recovery, and a managable sleep schedule than you would by waking up at such an arbitrary time.

You see, it doesn’t matter what hour you GET up, all that matters is what you do with the hours that you ARE up!

But…

To get the most out of your days and consciously make time for the big goals you’ve set for yourself in 2020, you should decide to wake up just 15-30 minutes earlier than you are right now.

By waking up just a little earlier than you do today, you can set aside a few precious minutes of “Magic Time” to do focused deep work and make huge progress toward your #1 goal (I used this exact strategy to build my first 6-figure business and write my first book The Perfect Day Formula).

Those 15 minutes might not seem much, but if you will do this 6 days a week for an entire year, you’ll clock more than 72 hours of clear, undistracted, deep work focused on your biggest problem or priority…and I promise, the results will speak for themselves.

If you’re getting up at 7 a.m. right now, you don’t have to sacrifice sleep and sanity to get up at 5 a.m. tomorrow. All you need to do is start getting up at 6:45 a.m. That’s reasonable, manageable, and effective.

2. Get Accountable (To Someone You Deeply Do Not Want to Dissapoint) 

Every single person who’s ever done something great in their lives had a mentor…period.

Warren Buffet had Benjamin Graham.

Alexander the Great had Aristotle.

Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, and Tom Brady each had a team of coaches, nutritionists, and trainers who helped them excel.

Luke Skywalker had Obi-Wan and Frodo had Gandalf.

All of the greatest characters in history and fiction relied on the help of a coach or mentor to go from good to great.

And you’re no different.

To achieve exceptional results in 2020, you need accountability and objective outside eyes on your life and business. You need someone who has “been there, done that” and can give you the insight and clarity you need to get to the next level.

You must get someone to hold you accountable for your actions in life.

Yes, this might lead to a few uncomfortable conversations, but it is the BEST thing for you. Accountability makes you Play Up a Level in Life so that you can reach your peak potential and achieve the extraordinary results you deserve.

3. Give Gratitude 

One of the greatest traps that high-performers like you and me fall into is what Jim Collins refers to as “The Undisciplined Pursuit of More.”

In other words, we hustle, we grind, and we actually achieve success. We become “the guru” or the “expert” or the millionaire.

But then…

We see Timmy on Instagram making 3X what we make, living in a nicer neighborhood, and travelling private instead of first class.

…And we decide that we aren’t successful and that we need to work even harder to try and keep up with Timmy and his luxurious lifestyle.

But here’s the thing.

There is always another level of success. And, unless you’re a Bezos or Musk, there will always be someone doing better than you are today.

And that’s ok. The key to fulfillment (and continued success) is to focus on everything going right in your life. Because, regardless of how you compare to other entrepreneurs and influencers out there, you have a lot to be grateful for.

This is why, in 2020, I encourage you to pick up a gratitude journal (like the one in my Perfect Day Formula Kit here).

I’ve been using my gratitude journal for years and it’s made me happier, less anxious, and more fulfilled as a result.

4. Do a Brain Dump 

One of the easiest ways to improve your life in 2020 is to set aside just 5-10 minutes at the end of every work day to complete a quick “brain dump” where you get all of the proverbial jigsaw pieces out of your head and onto paper.

Write down anything and everything that’s on your mind (or your calendar). From that big project you’re working on to the proposal you need to send to getting your car’s oil changed, get all of the clutter out of your head.

Then, with your brain dump finished, either schedule, outsource, or release the tasks on the list. I promise, you’ll feel a greater level of clarity, calm, and presence once you’re done.

5. Get Outside (Preferrably with a Dog) 

I’m serious. Having a dog has reduced my stress, improved my health, allowed me to spend more time in nature (where I’m more creative), helped me laugh five times more often every day, and made me appreciate the little things in life.

And for those of you who don’t have a dog?

Head over to a local animal shelter and adopt one tomorrow…

Or, at the very least, set aside time for yourself each day where you can get outside for a short walk in the sun and subconsciously process the problems you’re trying to solve each day.

I promise, you’ll notice an almost instant spike in your productivity and creativity when you revisist your work.

There’s a reason that Newton, Edison, Nieztchse, Tesla, and Jobs were religious about their daily walking routine. They knew that the answers the the challenges they were facing wouldn’t be found sitting at a desk.

6. Make Friends, Influence People, and Grow Rich

If you’ve been in the entrepreneur/personal development space for more than 2.3 seconds, then chances are you’ve read (or at least heard of) Think and Grow Rich and How to Win Friends and Influence People.

If you haven’t, or if you’ve forgotten the big lessons, read them (again). And notice the importance that both authors place on the power of networking and masterminding to accelerate success.

Jim Rohn, the legendary personal development guru, once said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”

He’s right. It’s even been proven in research from Harvard University.

If you want 2020 to be your year…the year where you become a massive success, make your first million dollars, and live the life you’ve always wanted…you’ll need extraordinary people in your corner to help you achieve these extraordinary results.

“But Craig,” you might be thinking, “My family holds me back. My friends don’t want to be successful. And the people at work sabotage me at every turn.”

That’s okay. There is a solution. Research also shows that online social support works just as well as real-world social support for helping you achieve your big goals and dreams.

And, if you want to become a part of an elite online community of fellow high-performers, just click here to join my Perfect Business Facebook Group (it’s free!).

7. Succeed Through Subtraction

Whenever I help a client achieve a breakthrough transformation in their life and business, it’s rarely because of something I instructed them to start doing.

More often than not, their big breakthroughs are a byproduct of a handful of patterns and behaviors I helped them stop doing.

And the same holds true for you.

To reach the next level of success in 2020, you must focus first on subtraction.

What are the distractions, temptations, and obstacles you must eliminate to make success automatic?

Are you addicted to social media? Checking email when you should be prioritizing time with your family? Trying to “Do it alone” and stubornly refusing to ask for help or hire new team members?

Whatever it is, write it down.

Create a “Not to Do List” with all of the habits and behaviors that are not serving you and get accountable to someone you don’t want to disappoint on eliminating them.

Because the things you don’t do are just as important (if not more so) to your success than the things you do.

8. Use the Power of Deadlines 

If you don’t have hard deadlines in your life and business and, more importantly, serious consequences if you miss those deadlines, you are underperforming guaranteed. 

Not only do deadlines help you gain momentum by spurring you into action and keeping you motivated through the tough times, but they allow you to unlock new levels of productivity and performance the closer and closer they get.

Do you remember how you’d procrastinate on a big project or paper in college and then somehow manage to complete an entire week’s worth of work during a caffeine-fueled all nighter?

The same principle still applies in your business today (although I’d encourage you to avoid procrastination and sleep deprivation).

When you have a deadline with real consequences, you’ll move faster, work smarter, and reach levels of productive output you never knew were possible.

Set your deadlines. Get accountable to the consequences. And get to work.

9. Create a Vivid Vision for Your Life 

Finally, to achieve massive success in 2020 and hit all of your biggest goals, you must have a clear and vivid vision for exactly what you want.

Remember: To get what you want, you must know what you want.

And until you get clarity on your vision (and the vehicle that will get you there), you’ll always be a “Lost Warrior”. Working your fingers to the bone with no end in sight and no idea what it is you’re working toward.

Having a clear and concise roadmap for your life makes the right decisions automatic and allows you to focus on the right processes instead of falling prey to shiny object syndrome.

That’s why you must go through the Vision Creation guidebook in The Perfect Day Formula kit. Using the kit is like having me coach you through the exact steps for your success (just like I do for my $25,000 coaching clients).

The Perfect Day Formula kit is the ULTIMATE guide to success in this busy age. And with these 10 steps for success in place, you can achieve the extraordinary results you expect and get exactly what you want in life, just like I did.

It’s the BEST gift you can give yourself this year.