Forget New Year Resolutions. Dream Audaciously!

This holiday as I was playing executive coach with my 13-year old nephew, I asked him what his New Year resolutions were. He gave it a thought, shrugged his shoulder and said “I don’t have any. I’m pretty happy with my life”. A couple of days later, he came downstairs and asked the family about what his political platform should be. As he calmly explained to us, he is planning to run for political office when he’s 43 and just needs to get clear about his stance on various issues.

This interaction reminded me of advice I recently read in Michael Hyatt’s book “Platform” as well as the inspiration from my friend Whitney Johnson, author of “Dare, Dream, Do”. In his book, Michael Hyatt tells the story of Lou Holtz who, broke and unemployed, decided to write down 107 goals one evening in 1966, including dinner at the White House, meeting the Pope, etc. To-date he has achieved 102 of his 107 goals. So, this year, instead of setting New Year resolutions, I’m dreaming audaciously. I invite you to dream audaciously with me. Here is my audacious dream and three steps to create yours:

Find your inspiration. Close your eyes and imagine a perfect 2015. Yes, I mean now. Imagine yourself at the end of 2015 having completed the most phenomenal year of your life – ever! Your personal fairy godmother granted you 20 wishes, so get busy wishing audaciously. Make a list of these 20 wishes. Create a vision board. Find pictures and words that evoke feelings of excitement in you.

• Think back to when you were having great fun and success, what was happening? What were you doing? Who were you being that inspired you?
• Who are the people who are inspirational to you? What inspires you about them?
• If you had a magic wand, what would you make happen with it?

Commit to a daily practice. Put your vision board and list where you will see it every single day, preferably several times a day. Connect with it every day:

• What does this feel like when it comes true?
• What on this vision board is already happening or true that I’m grateful for?
• What strengths do I already possess to help me fulfill this dream?
• What is one small step I will take today to make this a reality?
• What is something I will say “No” to in order to get my dream?

Find your tribe. Find people around you who will believe in you and your big audacious dream. Audacious dreams require nurturing from you and your tribe. Think about who you will share your dream with and what support you need from them, and then start the sharing. Encourage someone else to create their audacious dream by sharing this post or your own dream. Support them with their dream.

My Audacious Dream for 2015

A big part of my personal purpose is to move people toward their own magnificence. I can’t very well do that unless I am stepping into my bigger self, and practicing what I preach.

So I am sharing this with you in the hope that it inspires you to dream bigger for yourself. We will never know what we are capable of unless we believe in the power of our dream, believe in ourselves, and in each other. My audacious dream is about spreading the message about the power of authenticity. I have been inspired by leaders who are authentic, act from a personal sense of purpose, values, and have a big dream for their impact in the world.

So here is my list of 2o ways to bring my dream to life:

• Launch a movement for greater authenticity in workplaces globally (e.g. Lean In, Search Inside Yourself, and Delivering Happiness are great models of movements).
• Practice authenticity in each present moment, and return to it when I stray.
• Launch my book on authentic leadership in Q2 2015 with a strong sustainable platform
• Create with mentors and deliver a TEDxTalk in 2015 focused on the power and practice of authenticity.
• Create with partners a powerful experiential workshop to give people the experience of authenticity and deliver 25 speaking engagements in 2015.
• Create with partners the “Authenticity Olympics” – – exercises and games for teams and leaders to challenge and grow each other in the practice of authenticity.
• Capture the impact (stories, outcomes, case studies) of authenticity and share this widely – 2015 and 2016.
• Create an authenticity assessment and launch it globally by end of Q1.
• Bring together on-line community of authenticity advocates globally and arm them with tools to do their work in 2015. Let them own the community.
• Create a community of authenticity ambassadors (thought leaders) who will contribute to and feed the community with their powerful stories and wisdom. By Q3 2015.
• Work with a CEO and their senior leadership team to help them deliver a mission that matters using the power of authenticity.
• Create an “Authenticity Summit” online and invite people to contribute their thinking and ideas.
• Create authenticity & leadership practice circles within organizations and tools for these circles to impact their own leadership and their workplaces.
• Create guided exercises for leaders to practice authenticity in workplaces.
• Do a program with Oprah to spread the message of authenticity (Oprah Life Class).
• Collaborate with other global platforms to expand and spread the message.
• Create a 6 month intervention training curriculum for organizations to bring in house focused on authenticity in the workplace. Measure outcomes.
• Create a 52 week exercise/micro-blog series for leaders. Just one practice a week and impact thousands of people globally in their practice of authenticity.
• Get on a radio show to coach in the moment with topics focused on authenticity.
• Grow my global tribe of collaborators for mutual support, growth, and audacious dreaming.

So, now here’s the challenge for you. Create your list of 20. Share it here or with your own tribe. Connect with it every day to feel what it would feel like to have this dream come true. Take a small step toward it. Ask someone for help. Most of all, let it inspire your thoughts and actions – because only when you’re inspired can you inspire others.

This article was written by Henna Inam, C-level executive coach, global speaker, and author of the book Wired for Disruption. She helps leaders grow their agility to be a force for good and thrive in times of change. They create organizations that drive breakthroughs in innovation, growth, and engagement. In roles including Head E-Innovation and Chief Innovation and Marketing Officer, Henna drove transformation throughout her 20-year corporate career as an executive with Fortune 500 companies. Join the thousands who follow her blog here. Connect on Linkedin.