2015 was a massive year. In many ways, it was a year of charting new waters. It was a year of many “firsts.” These firsts pushed me. They stretched my limits. They expanded my thinking. The following “firsts” are the main highlights of my 2015:
- I quit my employee job.
- I moved out of state.
- I started vlogging on YouTube.
- I sold door-to-door.
- I created my first website—calvinwayman.com
- I started using Instagram and Snapchat.
- I jumped into Periscope.
- I got my first email subscribers.
- I sold my first online product (before creating it).
- I created my first membership course.
- I flew to New York for the first time.
- I ran my first webinar.
- I gave my first public speech.
- I ran a Spartan Race for the first time (and two more following that).
- I got in the ocean for the first time.
- I ran 15 miles for the first time.
- I gave my first podcast interview.
- I got accepted to write an article for a major online magazine—Entrepreneur.com
- I met and hung out with some of my mentors—including Lewis Howes, John Lee Dumas, Gary Vaynerchuk, Grant Cardone, Tai Lopez, and Robert Herjavec from Shark Tank.
2015 also gifted me with many lessons. I’ll share some of them here. As the Nike slogan goes, I learned to “just do it!” I learned that things don’t have to be exactly planned out before you begin.
And yes you will have fear, but just take action anyway. “Done is better than perfect.”
Another big lesson was this—you shouldn’t fret about whether you made the right decision or not. Certainly don’t regret any decisions you made. Instead, simply “decide, and then make it right.”
This was the biggest year of my life. With the many lessons I learned along the way, there is still yet one great insight that came from 2015. It is this: yes, even though I did have the biggest year of my entire life, I could have 10X’d it. I could have hustled even more. I could have become even more.
For some, that might sound depressing. To others it might look like a lack of appreciation for the present moment. Personally, it excites me!
In 2015 I learned that the only bottleneck to my life was myself. It was myself and any fears I had that kept me from taking action. That’s not to say I wasn’t blessed with much; I was! That’s not to say I didn’t accomplish much; I did! But by the same token, anything I didn’t do or didn’t accomplish is squarely on my shoulders. It wasn’t the economy. It wasn’t the marketplace. It wasn’t the opportunities. You see, what I really learned was I am the master of my own destiny. That thrills me!
Ultimately, 2015 surprised me twice. First, because I didn’t know how big fear can be and how hard things can get. Things can get crazy. But also, I didn’t realize how capable I really am—In spite of fear. Fear is a sneaky little devil. I learned that all of us have the ability to look fear head on, and take the action anyway.
I am humbled for the experiences God blessed me with in 2015. I am SUPER PUMPED for 2016. It’s going to be a wild ride.