Many people pick a word of the year that they use to inspire for that year. This week I am turning 50. Quite a big milestone in my life. My father was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer at the age of 50 and passed away two months after he turned 51. I spent a lot of time reflecting on what my word for this important year should be and spent a lot of time thinking about him and how he lived his life. My dad always had fun. Everyone love him. He was always the life of the party. He would want me to be living my life the same way.

So… my word for 2017 is BUCKET LIST.

In honor of my father, I’m going to do things I’ve always wanted to do. Try things I’ve been scared to try. Dream bigger in business. Ask people I could only dream of to interview and inspire. On a personal note, I plan to do special things with each of my kids separately, alone with my husband, and with my family all together. With one in college and another heading off in a year, my “family life” is changing daily and I’m going to grab onto as many experiences and memories as I can this year.

Last week I was invited to attend one of the official inaugural balls. Having grown up in Washington, D.C. going to a ball and having dinner at the White House are dreams you start having as a little girl. While I know our country is incredibly divided, to say I stood 10’ from the President of the United States (no matter who he or she is) is pretty awe inspiring.

On my bucket list this year as well is book #2. Its actually half-way written and I’m really excited about it. I’ve given the keynote that goes with the book and the audience loved it. It’s all about mindset and believing in yourself and just doing things! My business mentor always says that imperfect action is better than perfect inaction.

My challenge to you is to join me on the bucket list year. Do things out of your comfort zone. Start doing videos and Facebook live so your audience gets to know the real you. Pitch the media and see if you can get your business exposed to thousands of new potential customers. Get out there and meet people. Remember it’s not who you know, it’s who you know that they know. A network quickly becomes exponential.

Let me know what you’ve done in the comments below. And don’t forget, if you need some help with the ins and outs of social media and DIY PR pitching, come see us at www.SocialMediaandPR.com and let us help you learn how to do all of this strategically and efficiently so it’s not time consuming but incredibly effective.

To Your Success!