From Settling to Soaring: Choosing Growth Over Comfort

Yesterday, January 6th, as some of you know, was my birthday. You may be surprised to know that I just turned 9—in dog years, that is!

Although I’m officially three years in now, I’m still trying to wrap my head around the idea that I’m in my 60s! 60-year-olds used to seem old and ancient, but thankfully now that I’m here I don’t see myself that way.

It’s also baffling to me how it seems like I went from 36 to 63 so quickly; it feels like somebody just swapped the numbers on me overnight. I have had a great life and I am grateful for every bit of it, but it just seems like it went by quickly.

Luckily, having my birthday fall so close to the end of one year and the beginning of another does inspire me to reflect more than usual when the time comes around. A couple of weeks ago, I was doing just that: reflecting on the past year and thinking of my intentions for the new year.

In our family, we usually pick a word for the year based on what we want to create in our lives. We have found this practice focuses our thinking and it puts us more in tune with the messages and resources all around us that will propel us in the direction we want to go. We believe in creating a personal vision for ourselves and we have experienced the profound benefits of this practice over the years.

As the saying goes, “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.” So we do our best to aim—and aim high—and it has served us well, both personally and professionally.

As I sat on the couch a few weeks ago, thinking about the theme for the new year, I felt strongly that something was about to be revealed to me. I thought about the goals and aspirations for the new year, for myself and for our business, but there was a persistent “buzzing” in the back of my mind that just wouldn’t go away.

The thought swirling around in my head was that we had started to settle, that we had gotten comfortable with coasting. But how could that be?!

I thought to myself, “We’re healthy, our business is successful by all measures, we travel to amazing places, we have a great circle of close friends, and we have an amazing relationship with our kids, who have turned out to be wonderful human beings. We have designed and are living a life we love. So what’s with the noise?! What else am I supposed to do?!”

Then, suddenly it came to me. I had indeed been coasting. I had settled for a comfortable life, not a challenging one. I had settled for just being good enough, not constantly getting better. I saw signs of settling for a fixed mindset rather than a growth mindset. I would say things like “63 is the new 36” and that I have no plans to retire, but secretly I had been acting like it was time to start coasting and enjoy the fruits of my labor.

I had settled for business coming to us through word-of-mouth and referrals, knowing we would continue to do well financially. But what about all those other lives we could touch and the difference we could make for the millions of people who would be blessed by hearing and applying our message?

I had settled for having a “dad bod” because I’m in pretty good health for my age. Even though, if I actually got serious about the exercise routines I say I am committed to, I could probably be in the best shape of my life in my 60s.

Reflecting on all this, the words of Jim Collins came to mind: “Good is the enemy of Great.” And it’s true. When things are good enough, we don’t go for great. It’s also true at the level above that. After all, when things are great, why go for extraordinary?

So, I took out my phone and started recording my thoughts. I wrote, “No more coasting, no more playing small. It is time to stand tall!” I was suddenly filled with enthusiasm and just I kept on writing. The words coming to mind were affirmations to guide me beyond the state of settling for good enough, but I still wasn’t sure how to truly capture the intention. Then the word I was looking for showed up, our family’s new word of the year: “Ascent!”

As I was thinking about what to share in today’s newsletter, I spontaneously decided to share these affirmations with you. Dare I call it a poem? I should probably leave that to the experts to decide.

Whatever you want to call it, it was written to remind me of the revelations I had on that day. As I shared it with family members, it resonated with them as well. And so I thought it might resonate with those of you who so generously spend time reading my posts and newsletters.

(In case you’re wondering, no, I didn’t use any form of AI to generate this poem. These are all words that came straight from my heart and I hope they will land on yours and make a difference for you in the coming year.)

This time of year, we are all bombarded with advice on how to set and achieve our goals. I have published my share of that type of advice with the intent to offer tangible ways to serve and support others in that process. However, the focus of this article, “poem,” and the Further Resources below is the mindset behind whatever approach or technique you use to pursue your goals.

As for me, I feel a renewed sense of purpose to grow, expand my influence, and make a bigger difference for as long as I am able. I have set goals and come up with the habits and rituals that will help me achieve those goals. We are working on our vision boards and will continue to work on staying on track with our personal and professional “ascent” this year, and I hope you’re inspired to do the same.

I wish the very best for you in 2025! And I’d love to hear which part of my little “poem,” if any, resonated with you the most!

Further Resources

If you’d like to learn more about topics covered in this week’s newsletter article, check out the related resources I’ve included below.

Get in Touch

If there are topics you find to be of special value to you, or if you’d just like to get in touch and chat about what’s going on with you, simply reply to this newsletter or send me an email at amir@theghannadgroup.com. If you’re experiencing challenges that you would like my perspective on, or you’d like to explore how we can partner with you to support you in your transformative journey, please click here to schedule a call with me. I’d love to hear from you.

Let’s have a chat!

Clients and audience members at my talks frequently tell me:

• "I felt like you were talking specifically to me!"
• "Your perspective is so real and practical!"
• "Are you sure you don't work at my company? Because you were talking about exactly what we’re dealing with!"

I love hearing this feedback because my intent is always to make a real difference in your team's mindset and behaviors, which ultimately shape the culture, results, and fulfillment in your workplace.

The top problems we solve for clients with our coaching, speaking, and consulting services are:

• People working in silos and lack of collaboration toward a shared vision.
• Functional experts in leadership roles who aren’t equipped with the right skills and mindset to lead effectively
• People in the middle or frontlines of an organization failing to take initiative and be accountable.

If you’re experiencing any of these issues—or other challenges you would like to get some expert guidance on—get in touch with me and let me know your situation. I’ll get back to you very shortly with my thoughts on what you can do to start making progress.

Alternatively, click here to schedule a free discovery call to discuss your situation in more detail and to explore if and how The Ghannad Group can partner with you to transform your culture and results. During our conversation, I’ll share practical ideas and insights relative to your situation and we can jointly determine whether we can support you going forward.

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