Are they eagles? Turkeys? Or, more likely, a mix? Everyone in your circle influences you—some powerfully, some subtly. Are there people you need to step away from? Relationships that would benefit from clear boundaries or less time together? Where might you expand your circle to include people who challenge, inspire, and motivate you to grow?

Much of what fills your day adds little value to your life or anyone else’s. But some things make a real difference, either now or over time. Learn to recognize the difference. Then spend more of your time doing the things that truly matter.

“The walls of your comfort zone are painstakingly decorated with your life-long collection of treasured excuses.” — Jen Sincero What covers your walls? What treasured excuses have you collected, and convinced yourself to believe? Better yet: When will you stop decorating and start tearing them down?

We all know the spectator who mistakes hindsight for expertise; who judges your decisions with knowledge you didn’t have, from a position where they had nothing to lose. Then there are those who profit by dissecting your mistakes after the outcome is known, without ever having shared the uncertainty or borne the consequences of making…

But only if second place is playing only to win. Someone ran a marathon last weekend. Not to win, but to see if they could finish. A team stepped up to face a powerful opponent and called their close second a triumph. For them, winning was never about the podium.

“I changed my mind.” If you never update or refresh your opinions and conclusions, you could be stuck, you could be stubborn. Worse, you could be wrong.   Stuck and stubborn are at least visible from the inside if you’re honest with yourself, but being wrong without knowing it is the one that costs you.…