Photo: D. Paul Graham, ‘Breakers Sunrise’, circa 2013

“Monday 5 Things”™…..Bold Moves…..

So. Here we are again. It’s Monday morning… the start of a new week. What will today, and this week look like for you? Will it be the same old same old? Or will today be the start of something fresh and new? Did you hit the snooze button again… and again and again and again? Or did you bound out of bed as soon as your eyes opened, ready to embrace a new day? Today’s M5T reconnoiters the positive and radical – and at times seemingly messy and chaotic – facets of making bold moves in life.

1. Change your game.

Chances are if you want to be a game-changer you’re going to need to change your own game. It’s time to refocus on your goals and dreams. Ask yourself how long have you wanted to change, what’s holding you back? Be honest with yourself with those answers. Get yourself emotionally prepared for change. Surround and wrap yourself with positivity, and ruthlessly prune and discard the negative from your life. Don’t wait for the right moment. Bold changes will never have perfect timing or moments and can be scruffy in the short-term, but worth it in the long-term.

2. Confront the status quo.

Avoid the paralysis of analysis and worrying about the worst that could happen. Reset and focus on the best of what could happen with a bold change. Develop an attitude of growth. Climb out of the rut you may find yourself in by redefining yourself… by releasing “self, version 2.0, 3.0” or higher if necessary. Engage passionately in who and what you love. Focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses. Take a break from your computer and smart phone; take a course, turn an idea into income. Face head-on those things in your life that waste time and take away from your dreams. Invest in yourself. Choose to educate yourself instead of spending hours on mindless entertainment.

3. Just start.

Make today your moment and own it. Put yourself into a position and mindset to make just one bold change today – whatever that bold change may mean to you. Choose today to make a difference in your life and others. Replace negative voices and expand your inner thoughts with positive language. Bold moves require some planning to understand your motives and desired outcome. That plan is but a starting point, a roadmap of where you want to be. The best journeys – and the most enriching experiences in life – are found when you refuse to be ridged and find the inner strength to confront anxieties; to just start.

4. Frontiers.

Star Trek’s mission was to “explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.” Bold decisions require that you understand where you are in your life and to animate your dreams of where you want to be. It means finding the clarity and courage to swallow your fears, to clear a path to change your environment, and by refusing to stay in your comfort zone. Embrace your inner Captain Kirk and boldly go where you have not gone before. Bold moves demand that you constantly make choices that expand your life and move you toward the mission of your dreams.

5. Sense of urgency.

Bold moves require a commitment and a sense of urgency – to yourself and to your dreams. Confront naysayers who want to take your time, dissuade you from your dreams, or try to define you as they think you should be. Bold moves mean thinking big and going big.  Bold moves put more importance on starting than being perfect. Bold moves mean accepting that failure may be an outcome. They require understanding that things in life just don’t just happen; bold moves will be the catalyst to make things happen. Bold moves come from recognizing that there is not much difference between average and mediocre. It means being prepared for the cost of saying no, for discipline and focus. To letting go of some good things in your life, like the security and comfort of what you have known and accepted for years, and pushing for the extraordinary in life. Bold moves adjust, they impact, they define, they form vision, and they open some doors and close others. Having the courage to make bold moves allow us to find the best in ourselves.

The Spanish baroque prose writer and philosopher Baltasar Gracián wrote, “put a grain of boldness into everything you do.”  Here’s to a week of releasing grains of unfettered boldness in all you decide to do and to boldly go where you’ve not gone before.

© 2021 D. Paul Graham, all rights reserved.

D. Paul Graham is passionate about people, culture, photography and business. He has embraced his wanderlust with his travels around the globe and is at peace with his need for spirited drives in all things automotive.

You can find M5T each Monday here on www.southmag.com and by friending D. Paul Graham on Facebook. Paul is also a contributing photographer to South Magazine. His photographic work can be found on Instagram @dpgraham and at www.imageGRAHAM.com . Your feedback is always welcome. Email Paul at dpg@imagegraham.com