In 90 days from today, we will start 2024.
Three months. A quarter of a year.
It sounds like a tiny window, doesn’t it?
The truth is: a lot can happen in 90 days. The business world vouches for it with its obsession of quarterly reviews, 90-day action plans, and corporate innovation cycles. Even the legendary Steve Jobs knew the power of this timeframe and leaned into it during Apple’s early years.
We often lament about the things we haven’t started. The projects we shelved, the ideas we discarded. The passions we overlooked, the pet peeve that we wanted to do something about never did.
Consider: What haven't you touched in 2023? What global goal did you not start or make meaningful, measurable progress towards?
The bigger question is: have you resisted the pull because it doesn’t align with the norm? Have you not done the thing because it isn't the ‘done’ thing?
It’s hard to play a bigger game when the world around you is playing small.
Let's look to the stories of a few individuals who faced similar blockages and yet, surged ahead to make their mark.
Brian Acton, after 11 years at Yahoo!, faced rejection from Facebook in 2009. But instead of being disheartened, he used that setback to fuel a bigger vision. Teaming up with Jan Koum, he launched WhatsApp. By 2014, ironically, Facebook recognized the genius behind the platform and acquired it for US$19 billion.
Dr. Barry Marshall, the Australian physician, met naysayers when he hypothesised that Helicobacter pylori caused stomach ulcers. Instead of bowing to convention, he literally consumed the bacterium to prove his point. His audacity and conviction won him the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2005.
Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx, knew nothing about the fashion industry. She just had an idea and big dreams. Facing countless rejections, she forged ahead, turning Spanx into a globally recognized brand, becoming one of the most prominent female self-made billionaires in the world.
Each started with a drive to bring something bigger, better into the world. Each, in their own way, has positively impacted people around the world. Each has achieved both professional success and personal influence at the global level.
But beyond just being success stories, they’re testaments to breaking norms, pushing boundaries, and understanding that often, the blockages we face are self-imposed.
An ancient Chinese proverb captures it well: "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now."
Now is the time to break through. It’s time to work on the global goal that will move the needle in your business.
Now is the time to stop asking, "What if?" and start exploring, "Why not?"
The world continues to be divided and contracted. It’s easy to retreat. Yet, often, barriers are not just external but internal as well.
You have 90 days remaining before 2024. Use this period to identify and analyze any obstacles or limitations to your global goals.
In the next three months, there's potential for significant progress. According to Seth Godin, it might be beneficial to overcome the 'lizard brain' and advance.
I believe that amplified ambition drives global goals. What is the global goal that you’ve been holding off? What is the one thing you can do in the next 90 days to make it happen in 2024?