We are in the home stretch until the year is done. However, it seems that many people are already saying the year is over. Well, I am here to tell you that the year is not over yet. I am not trying to prolong your 2020 or keep you in a year that may have been filled with hardships. What I do want you to understand is that regardless of what date it is, you can set yourself up to win. You have this last month to stack your deck in your favor for the upcoming year. That way, you can start 2021 running instead of beginning the race, just like a runner who is trained to run past the finish line because if they aim for the finish line, they will slow down before they reach the end. That slowdown had caused many to lose the race when all they had to do was push past where they wanted to be. In this week’s blog, I want to teach you how you can stack your deck this last month before the new year.

The term stacks your deck means to put the odds in your favor so that the desired outcome is reached. There are many areas this can apply to, such as personal development, career growth, and relationships. In each of these areas, you have the ability right now to set yourself up to be in a better place a month from now. If you have gained some weight over Thanksgiving, then you can stack your deck with more walks, runs, gym sessions, and healthy eating habits. If you have been out of a job because of businesses closing down or your business taking a hit because of the pandemic, then now may be the perfect time to prepare for when the country normalizes. Perhaps your relationship has become divided this year, and you want to stack the deck so that this month can start the healing/strengthening process in your relationship. No matter the area, you can find a way to stack your deck.

If you are currently seeking a way to stack the deck in your life, then you are not alone. I would say more than half of the clients I work with want to achieve a better understanding of their worth. They feel stuck and do not know their next move. Many have careers that make good money, but something is holding them back from being happy. I can attest to this feeling because I have been there. I had the whole world in front of me, and it wasn’t enough. I had plenty of money and opportunities that anyone would dream of having, but at the end of the day, I felt that something was missing. I have been fortunate to have many teachers and mentors over the years that have all given me bits of wisdom that I was one day able to find my answer. I was able to find what made me want to be more than I was yesterday, and since that moment, I have stayed true to the urge to stack my deck in my favor.

The journey to reaching your desired level in life will require massive amounts of work. I understand that the word massive can deter people because of how much work it entails, but I can assure you it is worth it. Mark Twain said, “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born, and the day you find out why.” I know firsthand the truth behind this. For me, it felt like I was swinging in the dark, wishing to get lucky and hit a home run. However, I learned how to open my eyes and stand in the light of my reason for being here. Just knowing why I was created was enough for me to want to be and do better. That is why stacking the deck in any area has the ability to lead you to the place you want to be in life.

In order to reach the places you want to be in life, you have to stack your deck correctly. That might mean you have to read more books on a particular subject/skill. Write more in your journal to promote deep thinking so that you can get closer to finding your reason and purpose for being here today. If getting in shape is something you have on your mind, then reach out to a trainer and get your workout/diet plan started. Stick with it no matter how challenging it is or how much you want to give up. Just over that hill of pain is your dream body, so make sure to stay true to your goals and do not get sidetracked. The thing about setting yourself up to win is that you are the only person who can get that ball rolling.

If you are a person who is waiting for a specific contingency in life, then look no further. The only factor you need to worry about or take care of is yourself. When you learn to do that, then everything else will fall into its rightful place. If you are worried about why John or Rebecca received a promotion and you didn’t, then you need to set yourself apart from them. You cannot spend your days comparing yourself to other people because, at the end of it, you will have gotten nowhere. Instead of feeling bad for yourself, you should figure out ways to stack your deck. Perhaps you will need a coach/mentor to get you started on the right track. Perhaps you just need some new reading material that will promote positivity in your life. Whatever you choose to be your aide, make sure that you also do your part in the process.

Though stacking your deck is a surefire way to reach your desired place in life, it doesn’t take out the most critical factor of the equation. When you stack your deck, you give yourself a better chance of reaching your desired result, but even if you do that, it is not enough to give you all that you want. You will have to do the work each day and make sure that the goals you have set for yourself are being reached or at least you are making some progress towards their completion. Even if your progress is slow right now, make sure not to give up because persistence will lead you toward the completion of your goals. However, if you find yourself in the habitual process of thinking about what to do for the hundredth time with no movement/plan for completion, then you might have to take a step back to find out the reason for your procrastination and lack of planning.

You are the determining factor of your life and all that is in it. You might have made some poor choices in your life, but those are not your definitive moments. At the end of the day, what you put forth in your day will circle back to you. So if you are spending your days in the same routine with the same emotions coming up, then that is how things will stay. You have to spark your fire and stack your deck so that you come out victorious in all your efforts. Winning only happens to the people who do not quit, so do not quit this year yet because it is not over. You have this whole month to stack your deck and prepare for the rest of your life. It should not take the rest of your life to complete your goals, so get them on paper and set a date of completion. Make sure you do the things that will benefit you and promote growth in your life. Once you have stacked your deck, then the desired outcome you seek will be attained.

Until then,

Michael Rearden

Founder of Reven Concepts