Success Advice
How to Get Ahead While Everyone Else Takes A Holiday Break
There’s a disturbance in the Force. The weather is getting colder. Winter is setting in. The holiday season is soon upon us.
I’ve found that there are primarily two types of people that emerge when the holiday haze hits. Which one are you?
Type #1 is the 99%. They are “The Sheep.”
By December 1st, The Sheep are already “mentally checked” out. They might be here physically, but their minds are roasting chestnuts over an open fire. “Dude…it’s December,” they’ll tell you.
The Sheep have plenty of big goals that they’re hoping to accomplish in 2016. (I mean, who doesn’t?) But right now, all that stuff is on the back burner. For them, December means it’s time for champagne at work. Time for gorging on an ungodly amount of pastries, moving up a pants size and snuggling on the couch with “bae” to watch that awesome claymation Rudolph movie. And I get it.
Going on mental cruise control around the holidays doesn’t sound like such a bad idea for most people. I think we can all relate. But inevitably, a sinking feeling begins to develop. Right in your core. It starts very subtly, when you look back at 2015 goals and realize, “Damn…I didn’t really accomplish what I set out to do this year.” “It’s ok,” you tell yourself. “New Year, New Me. Right? I’ll get a fresh start in January.”
So you set new resolutions to get even MORE done in 2016. It feels good to envision yourself following through. Maybe you even write some things down. Deep down inside, though, you know nothing has really changed.
You don’t really have a plan for getting from where you are to where you want to be — and in your heart-of-hearts, as much as it hurts you to admit it, you wouldn’t exactly be surprised if December 2016 left you feeling just as unsatisfied as this year.
So you kinda just bury your expectations in food and embrace the holiday slump. It’s a nice six-ish weeks of self-induced, “I’ll deal with it after New Years” bliss. But on a core level, it’s an agonizing cycle of self-defeat. That’s how 99% of the population spends their holiday season. That’s what happens to sheep. If that’s happened to you, or is happening to you, I’m not criticizing you. I’ve been there too. But there’s another way.
“It has been my observation that most people get ahead during the time that others waste.” – Henry Ford
Type #2 is the 1%. “The Hustlers”
On the outside, Hustlers seem like anomalies whose massive success can’t be explained with logic. They’re like “glitches” in the system. Remember that scene in the Matrix, when Neo walks through the crowd of sober worker bees all dressed in black and spots an elegant blonde in a red cocktail dress? The effect is jarring. These hustlers stand out like a sore thumb.
These are the people who set out to accomplish MASSIVE goals every single year — and not only CRUSH those goals,but surpass them. I know you’ve seen them.
Maybe you’re reading Forbes and catch a glimpse of some young, brilliant entrepreneur in his twenties who’s making billions with an app he developed in his dorm room. Or perhaps it’s the newest junior executive at your job, who despite being with the company for less time than you, has already put herself on track to become a partner (Meanwhile, your boss just rejected your request for a raise. Ouch.)
These seemingly extraordinary people pop up on social media too. How many times have you had to look at friends-of-friends taking selfies from Fiji as you agonize over which formula to use in an Excel spreadsheet? It just doesn’t seem fair. “Who ARE these people…and what are they doing that I’m not?”
It’s easy to look at outstanding people doing incredible work and think of them as outliers. They must be freaks of nature. Not “one of us.” Unusually gifted, uncharacteristically lucky. Probably have rich parents. Born with better facial structure. Ugh. The unfairness would be depressing if it wasn’t so intriguing. HOW ARE THEY DOING IT?
At the end of the day, you can come up with all sorts of reasons why the “chosen few” should see massive success while you sit on the sidelines, fighting for the scraps with the rest of the population. You can even choose to hate them because of their success. OR you could simply decide to become one of them. But to do that, you’re going to have to STEP UP YOUR GAME.
I’d like to invite you to undertake The 13-Month Year.
“If it is important to you you will find a way. If not you’ll find an excuse.” – Ryan Blair
What is The 13-Month Year?
The 13-Month Year is how true Hustlers get ahead. More than anything, someone living a 13-Month Year says: “Screw the norm. I don’t care that everyone else is taking the holidays off. I’m about to turn the rocket boosters ON.”
While your friends and colleagues are winding down, getting fat and singing carols, you’re grinding through the holidays. You’re starting your year early and you get an entire “bonus” month in 2016 to figure things out without wasting time. You’re working out all the kinks in your plans so that come January 1st, while everyone else is sobering up and crawling back to the office, you’re already well into the groove. THAT’S how winners kill the game.
This isn’t another played out New Year’s Resolution that you’ll sweep under the rug in a few weeks, quietly embarrassed. This is a proven strategy for success.
If you want to get in better shape, maybe you’ll use that extra month to start your workout routine and diet plan early. You’d be appalled how empty the gym is in December. Only Hustlers are gettin’ it in. Perfect. If you want to start a business, maybe that extra month is used to begin testing your ideas early and identify where to focus your efforts so that you already have momentum and clarity going into 2016.
Now here’s the catch: THIS STUFF IS IT NOT EASY. I’m just going to put that out on front street right now. I’m not here to sell you dreams. I’m not a guru. I’m just Daniel. I’m not a millionaire (yet). I’m not perfect. I’m not all-knowing. But I HAVE figured some stuff out that can help you. And the more I hang out with people who are MUCH more successful than me, the more I realize that success is not an accident. It’s not luck.
A big part of getting ahead is the ability to focus while other people are distracted. So I want to help you get focused. Not in January. Right now.
Are you going to start the 13 month year this year? Let me know your plans in the comment section below!
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In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”
While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.
Why This Gap Exists
Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.
What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.
Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap
Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.
1. Practice Mutual Empathy
Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.
2. Maintain Professional Boundaries
Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.
3. Follow the Golden Rule
Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.
4. Avoid Micromanagement
Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.
5. Empower Employees to Grow
Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.
6. Communicate in All Directions
Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.
7. Overcome Insecurities
Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.
8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship
True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.
9. Eliminate Favoritism
Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.
10. Recognize Efforts Promptly
Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.
11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews
When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.
12. Provide Leadership Development
Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.
13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles
Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.
The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role
Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:
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Build diverse talent pipelines
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Embrace flexible work models
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Design compelling career paths
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Simplify HR processes
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Redefine the value HR brings
The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.
Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff
When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.
Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.
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