Why should we have a routine?Action Items of the week: #1 Think about who you want to be vs what you want to do and #2 Come up your routine around the PPP.
For the past year I have been working to get my P2 Pilots license for paragliding. There are so many parallels between paragliding and leadership and one hit me hard this week when my coach says, “When you jump off this cliff, if you don’t give 100% you will hurt yourself!”
Running full speed ahead off a mountain when your entire body is screaming NO but your mind is saying YES is a wild thing! We have taken all the precautions, steps and have we have our contingency plan in place. But why can it be so hard to jump, when we know it is safe?
What really happens if we don’t give 100% when we are going for our goals? Where are we not giving 100% and is it hurting us? Where is one place we can step up to give 100% this week? Watch how you start to fly when you give 100%!
A few clients have asked me how they can communicate with their customers while wearing a mask. I thought there might be a few others out there who want a few strategies to keep in mind when talking with customers while wearing a mask. Please feel free to share, print the PDF, or keep! If you have any other suggestions always open to know more! Stay healthy out there!
Here are the 17 events in 17 photos that best describe my 2017. What are yours? Use #17in17in2017 to connect with others and share your year in 17 photos!
The Avery Family (Penny is the one next to me)
Finding Aunt Penny
Keynoting in Frankfurt, Germany for The Global Leadership Conference
75 Keynotes
One of my many cooking classes this year 🙂
Cooking New Foods
Me and James at our Book Launch Party!
Motivating Millennials
Me and Carole with our inspiration (Atlas) 🙂
YES, OH YES, SHE DID
Me and Chelsea at Tom Petty’s 2nd to last show
Chelsea
TEXAS + IRONMAN = AWESOME
70.3 IRONMAN
Asian Theme Poker Party (Each month is a difference theme)
House Parties
The Avery Family in Hawaii
Travel
Our inside dinning room table
The Dinner Table
Night diving with my sister in Honolulu
Scuba Diving with Manta Rays
I mean look at my dog…
Gardening
This smile makes me smile 🙂
Atlas Turning One
Part of our new headquarters
The New AveryToday, Inc. Headquarters
12,000 feet up!
Paragliding with My Dad
We had a lot of meals out on the deck this year!
Family
BFFs who hid in a trunk to pop out so they could surprise me!
Friends
Every year I put together the top photos that correlate with the number of years in our millennia. This year… 16! My challenge to you is to take uninterrupted time this week to scroll through your phone or review photos stored on your computer and find the best 16 photos that represent your 2016!
This process always provides me with gratitude, love, happiness and reflection on the year while also giving me hope, desire and energy for the year ahead.
Here are my 16 photos from 2016 and I hope you will share yours with me either by posting a link to your article in the comments below or by using the #16PhotoChallange on your social media!
My favorite lady and I doing our favorite thing together… traveling!
Chelsea: I know some people save acknowledging their loved ones at the end or speeches or blog articles… not me! Family comes first! We celebrated 9 years together this year and I hope I get another 93 with her! She is my best-friend, my partner in life, my partner in business and the mother to my child! She is literally… the best!
Literally… the best!
Atlas: We welcomed Atlas Turner Avery into the world this year on September 1, 2016 at 10:22pm weighing in at 8.0 lbs and almost 22 inches! Chelsea delivered her naturally at the MMC center and I got to catch her with my own hands; literally one of the best moments of my life! She has been our favorite adventure to date! It is so fun watching her grow. Everyday when I feel like I love her the most, my love for her grows even more!
My awesome family! (not pictured here are my awesome in-laws, cousins, aunts and Grammy)!
Family: This year has been ALL about family for me! My parents moved their life ENTIRE life to Colorado to be closer to me, Chelsea and Atlas. I have seen my mom and dad more in the past three months than I have in the past DECADE (literally)! I have seen my sister TEN times this year and my aunts, cousins and Grammy more than ever too as we have made it a priority to spend quality time with family! So grateful that my parents moved to CO to help with Atlas and so thankful for my in-laws who have played a HUGE role in helping us be parents!
Crossing the IRONMAN finish line has been one of my greatest accomplishments to date!
140.6 IRONMAN: When I found out Chelsea was pregnant I wanted to do something that was the “male equivalent” to giving birth and the IRONMAN popped into play! I had never run a marathon. I had never biked more than around the block and I had some swimming experience. This was going to be a HUGE challenge. My commitment to my family was that I would not do it if it jeopardized my physical or mental health and I am proud to say that after 16 hours and 54 minutes I completed the Boulder IRONMAN on August 7, 2016 fully healthy! It was the single hardest thing I have ever had to endure.
The perfect spot to raise our family!
House: I semi-joked with Chelsea at the beginning of the year that I would buy her a house for Christmas this year and we closed on our dream home 19 days before Santa arrives! We love this place. It is the PERFECT place to raise our growing family, to entertain, to have Sugar run in the back yard and we have plum trees, apple trees, grapes, hops and more types or trees/flowers than I can count! It is the perfect place to come home to after traveling and seeing Chelsea, Atlas and Sugar sitting on our couch in the living room… priceless!
This used to be our view that we woke up to every morning outside of our front door when we would take Sugar on walks! I thought I would miss it but I am really happy where we are now!
Portland, OR: I cannot believe we lived in Portland THIS year! That still blows my mind. In the past twelve months we have had THREE addresses! Portland was such a fantastic spot for us and making the decision to leave that city and our friends and uproot our life was one of the hardest decisions we had to make this year. Without a doubt, it was also one of the top decisions we made this year!
Thanks Littleton 🙂
Littleton, CO: I love our new little town! It has everything I need. I can walk to the lake from our house. I can get on the bike trails for my triathlon training. They have cute neighborhood activities and we are going to be here for a long time! I can see our children growing up here and it makes me really happy and proud to think of them as Coloradans!
Day 16: Send a care package to a solider across seas! We might have gone a little overboard!
#31DaysofKindness: This started three years ago as something I wanted to do with a few friends and over the years has grown into almost 1,000 people joining in on the adventure. We do it every year from August 1st to August 31st where we collectively do the same act of kindness around the world together. This year as a group we did more than 18,000 acts of kindness! Our goal next year is to do over 30,000 acts of kindness!
I get messages like this posted on my wall and it literally makes me SO happy!
Letters: This year I started my hand-written letter campaign where I write a letter everyday to someone who wanted one. This was one of my favorite things I did this year. I heard from people all over the world about their dreams, about their struggles, about their hopes and questions. Some of the people I knew personally and others I had never met before. Some wrote in asking me to write their loved ones and others asked for advice. I have written more than 300 letters this year and I hope people continue wanting them because it makes me really happy! Want a letter: Here are the details 🙂
I mean this dog literally might be the cutest dog in the world!
Sugar: I can’t tell you how happy this dog makes me. She is always happy. She always snuggles. She always loves to go on walks and gets excited when I walk in the front door. Dogs really are a human’s best friend (sorry cat lovers) and I am so thankful to have this little white 16 pound bundle of joy in our life!
The week I took this photo my travel/speaking schedule was insane! I did MN, HI, CO and WA in the same week!
Travel: After traveling to every continent in the world last year I thought I would go through travel withdraws sticking to North America destinations but I could not have been more wrong! I got to see so much of the United States this year from Hawaii to Hotlanta to Texas to Tennessee! I got to see and spend time with many friends and family members and Chelsea and Atlas got to join me on most of my trips! This year, if my calculations are correct, I stayed in more than 115 nights of hotels, got on 98 planes and spoke in 25 states and 38 cities!
You can learn more at www.Vistage.com!
Vistage: Vistage has been the single best professional group without a doubt for me! I get to speak at their events, I get to sit on one of their boards, I get to interact with Vistage WHQ staff, members, chairs and they let me do what I love to support those that I love and it is the best! I am so thankful to be part of the Vistage community!
The sign you get when you come visit us 🙂
Friends: I feel like I have been blessed with some of the best friends in the world; friends who challenge me, friends who make me want to dream bigger, friends who all are living out their own passions and focused on helping others succeed too!
No matter how many restaurants I eat at… home cooked food still tops the list! #BreakfastForDinner
Food: One of the best parts of my job is I get to enjoy my passion of food every week and try local restaurants and cuisine! Taste is one of the best parts of life and looking through my phone photos besides Chelsea, Atlas and Sugar… food tops the list of things I take the most photos of!
This is hanging up at one of my clients headquarters and it pretty much sums up who I am and my word of the year! 🙂
Secure: Every year I pick a word that I want to focus on and that drives my decision making for the next twelve months. I have had my yearly words be “Focus” which is the one in 2012 when we won the World Championship. “Grow” which was in 2014 when we wanted to take our business to six figures and this year was “Secure” because I wanted to be more secure in who I am, what I stand for and the people I want to spend time with. I wanted to be ok with saying YES or NO and ok with my decision. In the past I have been more of a “people pleaser” and I think it is good to make others happy but not in the expense of your own happiness!
Ryan Avery, Keynote Speaker
Speaking: Speaking professionally is the best job in the world. Everyday I get to do what I love all while being able to teach people how to be better at what they love to do! I get to meet great leaders, see fascinating places, taste awesome foods and learn about unique cultures/industries. I am always learning. I am always challenged. I am always moving. I never take my job for granted and make sure that every time I speak, I act like it is my last opportunity to get in front of an audience. Thank you to everyone who worked with me this year. Thank you to all my mentors, friends and family who support me and Chelsea in this business and thank you to everyone who attended one of my trainings/keynotes this year! As a professional speaker, I can’t put into words how grateful I am for what I get to do for a living!
I hope you have an amazing rest of your 2016 and I am looking forward to staying in touch! remember to keep working towards your BIG dreams because they matter! As always…
Dream BIG,
Ryan Avery
Do you vote for Trump or do you vote for Clinton? For most American’s, these are the two choices we feel we have when selecting our next president. I have heard friends say they are voting for Hillary solely so Trump doesn’t get elected and that Bernie should have been the Democratic candidate.
I have heard strangers say they are not going to vote because “They don’t like Hillary or Trump” and they have better things to do than pick between, “a liar or a fraud.”
So are we stuck between picking the best worst candidate? There are others in this race who have not been adequately showcased solely based on their political party or because their ties aren’t red or blue.
There are other options for American voters. There is the Green Party candidate like Jill Stein and the Libertarian candidate like Gary Johnson. You can even write your own name in the ballot. But do you or these candidates have a shot in winning this year’s election? No! Next year’s election? Maybe. In my lifetime? Absolutely! Here is why:
For the country and generation known for having so many options, Millennials don’t like being told there are merely two choices. We as Millennials, we as the largest generation, we as consumers and voters will demand more choices from our political candidates like we do with everything else. We like options.
We are already showing America we want more. The fact that it is national news that the Libertarian candidate and Green Party are filing lawsuits to be able take part in the upcoming debate shows we are making steps, small steps, to demanding more choices.
Over the past century, we have demanded more choices from our brands, companies and even how we watch TV. When consumers demand more, they get more because companies want to stay in business.
We are demanding more choices and more options from our political parties and we will get them soon. Again, it might not happen this election but the American political system is changing and soon we will be known as having several parties. I might even be so futuristic and bold to say in the next election we as Millennials will be responsible for electing the politician verse their political party.
Other political parties are not a foreign process to electing our president. Our founding president didn’t even belong to a party. From 1841 to 1853, four out of five of our presidents were part of the Whig Party! Congress, the senate, the president, our government would get more done if they focused on values verses what side of the aisle they sat on. We as Millennials know this and we as Millennials are doing something about it!
Having multiple political parties is not a foreign concept to electing other countries’ presidents. Our allies in England, Italy and Australia (to name a few) all have more than two political parties to choose from when electing federal and state employees.
These changes will take time and they will go into effect during my lifetime because seeing is believing. Now young girls growing up can actually believe they can be a Presidential candidate one day. Now we can see that a Presidential candidate can make a large stride to the top without Super PAC donations. Now we know there are other options out there other than red and blue.
These third party and independent candidates will keep fighting. They will keep forging along and Millennials will make the bold move to one day vote for the person verses the party because Millennials are motivated by personal values, not political parties.
Political party leaders have been known for sticking with the candidate for party reasons instead of the person’s individual values and this is something I see changing in the very near future. Maybe even our next election because my generation wants transparency. We want universal values. We crave someone we can trust.
Most Americans are not fully Republican or fully Democratic. No matter who you are voting for, there are things you like and dislike about each candidate so why fight for the party when you can fight for the person? Why wear a red tie when you don’t have to wear a tie at all?
Frankly baby-boomers are a dying breed. Millennials are sprouting seeds that have room to significantly plant our roots in the ground and change the course of our political system in our country.
So how else will we change the course of our political system in our country? The same way we have come together for causes we believe in over the past years. We are the generation responsible for generating millions of dollars in crowd-funding campaigns. We are the generation responsible for spending more money than any other generation on consumer goods. We are the generation responsible for creating significant awareness through a tweet and trending Facebook post.
We are more likely to buy, wear and share a candidate’s merchandise and post it all over every social media outlet we utilize. We are more likely to significantly improve brand awareness for the candidate we want to win through our own networks.
We are more likely to find, post and share a candidate’s true colors through research and digging up dirt because we want transparency and authenticity from our leaders and we are willing to share what we find. Think of the progress we have made in the last few elections with what we have done with social media alone! We are capable of lifting a candidate up with a trending twitter feed or tearing them down with an SNL skit that then goes viral.
How else will Millennials be responsible for changing the American political system? We outnumber any other generation. There are more of us, than there are of any other generation. We as Millennials are not coming – we have arrived. We are more than voters. We are now running for office ourselves and the more we see our fellow Millennials stepping into office and our own generation represented in office the faster we will see a political shift in electing the person instead of the party.
Soon things will change and we will demand more choices from our political system in America and Millennials are the ones to change it.
We will soon start voting on the politician’s values verse their political party and won’t see red, blue or green, rather the person behind the position. That is when we will actually make America great again and be stronger together.
Here we go! 31 days of kindness is starting August 1, 2017.
This year we want 1,000+ people on board who, collectively, will do more than 31,000 acts of kindness in 31 days! AWESOME! Sign up here to get the daily email reminder.
First time you are hearing about this? Still join in and take the challenge, we hope you will!
How it works: Each day we do one act of kindness listed below and use #31DaysofKindness to share, comment and connect with others who are taking part in the challenge.
Make sure to post photos and share updates because at the end I will collect photos and make us a HUGE collage to share with everyone who participated! You can also share this with your friends, family and neighbors to get them on board! The more we have join, the more good we do as a group! So share away!
We have also created sharable images for you to use in your home, office and with your family and friends: Printable Poster, Facebook Banner, Instagram Post and Twitter Image.
Our goal is to retrain our brain to remember to be kind to others on a daily basis and to show the world we can do BIG things when you join together. So are you ready for the 31 Days of Kindness Challenge? Refer back to this post to see what each day looks like or get the daily email reminder. Let’s make the difference in the lives of thousands and here… we… go…
DAY 1 (August 1st) – Write a handwritten thank you letter
The hardest part about this act of kindness might be to remember where your stamps are or to drive to the post office to get them. Take time to get a letter written and sent out to someone in your circle of friends, family or community who you can encourage, inspire or thank!
DAY 2 – Pick up a piece of trash
There is always trash on the ground and we can do something about it! Think what would happen if everyone picked up one piece of trash everyday? Let’s keep our eyes peeled for what piece of trash we can pick up to clean up our streets, sidewalks or neighborhood!
DAY 3 – Buy someone coffee/tea or a drink
Most of us take time out of our day to go and grab a drink of coffee, tea or late night drink. Take the time to buy the person’s coffee behind you. If you don’t drink coffee or tea, pull through a drive though coffee shop pay $3 for the person behind you and drive away! See how good you feel!
DAY 4 – Compliment a stranger
Walk by and complement a stranger on what they are wearing, their hair or smile. Bonus points if you give them a high-five when you walk by!
DAY 5 –Donate an item of your choosing
Most of us can agree we have more than we need. What is in your closet that you can donate to a local shelter or Goodwill and have someone else get benefit from your amazing fashion sense? What about kitchen goods or toys?
DAY 6 – Pick something up that has fallen down
If you are walking down the street and see one of those fallen sandwich boards or you are in the grocery store and see something that fell off the shelf, find a way to put it back up! This might encourage others to do the same when they see you going out of your way to do something kind for others!
DAY 7 – Treat Yo’ Self!
We had this idea brought to our attention from a participant of #31DaysofKindess! He reminded us that many of us often need to be kinder to ourselves – so true! Treat yo’ self to a pedicure, a new book, leaving work 30 minutes earlier or fine leather goods. If you need more ideas, see where this idea stems from.
DAY 8 – Donate at least $5 to an organization you have never donated to before
Research a cause you believe in and donate at least $5 to their mission. It might not sound like a lot but those little donations add up for organizations and can be a big benefit if a lot of people do this. When 100+ of us do this, we will have given more than $500 collectively today to good causes around the world!
DAY 9 – Give/send someone a small, anonymous gift
Of course receiving gifts on birthdays and holidays are fun but even better is a random gift for no reason! You could look up someone’s ‘wishlist’ on Amazon and send them something. You could leave a coffee gift card on your coworkers desk. You could also buy a small something, leave it in a park with a note saying “For you!”
DAY 10 –Recycle something
It blows my mind how many people still do not recycle! This is one of the easiest ways to give back and be kind to our environment. Take time to recycle and if you don’t have recycling at your office or home, what can you do today to help make that a reality in your area?
DAY 11 – Bring snacks to work to share
Oh this is my favorite because my wife is my only co-worker and she is participating in this challenge with us! I hope she bakes something good! Take time to make something homemade or go to the store and grab something for your fellow co-workers. If you are unemployed at the time, go and bring a snack to a friend or a nearby office (shoot, even deliver snacks to the office where you want to work!)
DAY 12 – Support local
Instead of grabbing a bite at Subway or getting a few items at your local Target, stop by a local shop and support your community entrepreneurs by eating at a local restaurant or buying what you need at a local shop.
DAY 13 – Create a care package for a soldier
I invite you to take time and invite others to join in especially your family or friends to help you with this one. You don’t need to spend a lot of money (you don’t even need to spend money at all). You can write letters, send candy or books and so much more. Here is a good site to use called Any Soldier. If you are outside of the USA, see what your government allows and how you can support your troops. Give thanks to those who provide us with our everyday freedoms.
DAY 14 – Leave a $2 bill on the ground and watch them pick it up
This is one of the best and most interesting acts of kindness we will do. First off, go to your local bank and ask for a $2 (they will love you for taking those off their hands). Then go and place it somewhere a random person will see it and pick it up. You might be surprised by how many people walk by it before one person notices it!
DAY 15 – Lend your skills/services for free (answer questions)
There are several ways you can do this. Use the #question on Twitter or Facebook. Post on your social media that you can help <BLANK> with <BLANK> and the first person to reach out gets <BLANK> minutes of support. Go and volunteer for an hour or put your skills to the test. This one will make you think and question, what value can I add to others and who can use my skills/services?
DAY 16 – Promote a cause you believe in
There are so many great causes and organizations working hard to create positive change in our world. Talk about one of these causes that is important to you either in person with people and/or social media.
DAY 17 – Send a nice email to a company
We might take the time to send a complaint to a company who did us wrong but how often do we send an email or letter to a company who we appreciate is doing the right thing or treating their customers with respect? Send a nice email thanking that company for what they do, the products they offer and services they provide!
DAY 18 – Let someone go in front of you in line
Whether this is at the grocery store, at the coffee shop or waiting to pick up your burrito, this is a kind gesture to extend to someone!
DAY 19 – Share an uplifting quote
You never know what kind of day someone is having and often when we see positive or uplifting quotes, it can help reset our minds. Share an uplifting quote with a friend or via social media.
DAY 20 – Hold the door for someone
This one is another tricky one because we have to be on the look out all day for this opportunity. Take the time to look around for when someone might need the door opened for them. Smile, maybe give them a high-five and do it as many times as you can!
DAY 21 – Treat yo’ self and someone else
Reference day 7 for what this means except this time, include someone else! Treat your mom to a pedicure, your dad to lunch or your friend to that delicious cupcake in addition to yourself! Throw kindness around like confetti!
DAY 22 – Donate a used book to the library
Your local library could really enjoy some of your old childhood books or best-sellers that you never read anymore. Children, adults and teens can really benefit from those books we don’t use so select some off the shelf, drive by your local library and donate them!
DAY 23 – Introduce yourself to a stranger
Say “hi” to someone you walk by. Sit next to someone else at lunch. I bet there might be people at your office you don’t know fully, say hi and introduce yourself. A hi can go a long way!
DAY 24 – Share an article to a friend who could benefit from it
Have you read a great article recently that you know could benefit a close friend, peer or family member? Take time to show you care by sending them an article with an email to say “Hey, saw this and was thinking about you. Thought you would enjoy it.” Please don’t send one of those obnoxious FWDs. Send an article that adds real value to their life.
DAY 25 – Leave a 100% tip
This one will make your day! It does not have to be on a $50 meal. It can be on a $2 coffee you buy or $8 lunch you purchase. Leave that 100% tip and talk about doing a HUGE act of kindness. Those waiters will be talking about that for a while and you spread more kindness that way because they in turn go and talk about what just happened to their friends and family!
DAY 26 – Leave a fun treat for your mail carrier in your mail box
I would recommend nothing that can melt in the southern states this summer but pick something that is fun, sweet and says thank you! You can even write a note letting them know how much you appreciate always delivering your mail.
DAY 27 – Send a love letter to someone
There is something magical about receiving a letter in the mail and something extra magical when it’s a love letter! While we recommend sending one to your significant other if you have one, there are plenty of other family and friends you love in your life!
DAY 28 – Forgive Someone
This one is tough but we never said this challenge would be easy. Let’s be kind today by forgiving someone that hurt us, let us down or disappointed us. This will make room in your heart and mind for more kindness when you release resentment. You could let this person know they are forgiven by a letter, phone call or meeting. Another option would be to write a letter forgiving them and put it away without mailing it because the action is more important for you.
DAY 29 – Give thanks to one community servant you don’t personally know
Is there a firefighter, police office, civic servant or someone in your community who is adding value to your community that you need to thank? Go to their office, write them a letter or give them a call to say thank you for all they do to make our community safe!
DAY 30 – Smile at 10 people throughout the day
You know that feeling when you randomly lock eyes with a stranger and he or she flashes you a pleasant smile, which you hopefully return? Now it’s your turn to be the one intentional about putting on a literal happy face and smiling to at least 10 people throughout the day!
DAY 31 – Leave behind a note of kindness
Get your sticky notes or a piece of paper ready and leave a note (or notes!) of kindness somewhere along your day. This could be on a bathroom mirror at a restaurant, on a bookshelf in a library or even on someone’s windshield. To get your creative juices flowing, here are a few examples:
“You matter and you are important!”
“The world needs your specific creativity and energy!”
“Have a marvelous day!”
When we do all of this, imagine what we will have accomplished together as a team! Let’s spread the word! Think you know others who would like to join us?
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Last year I got sent handwritten letters from many of you and each one of those envelopes made my day!
I think there is something special about going to your mailbox and seeing an envelop that has your name printed on it in human handwriting! I want to be more conscious of doing little things that can make a BIG difference so this year I am going to write at least three hand-written letters a week to those who want one!
Do you want a handwritten letter? All you have to do is email me your mailing address at letters@ryanavery.com with a subject that says “I want a letter.” Tell me what’s going on in your life! What do you want to accomplish this year? Give me a good Would You Rather question. Let me know where you plan to travel!
This will be fun for me and hopefully it is a way I can give back in another way to say thank you for all you do for me! I did this campaign several years ago. Although I couldn’t get to everyone’s request I really did and will continue to try to send as many as I can. I for sure am committing to at least three a week!
I hope you are enjoying the start to your week and I look forward to receiving your emails. As always…
Dream BIG,
Ryan Avery
PO BOX 9344
Portland, OR 97207
Question: Know someone who could use a letter? Share this article on your social media or via email and let the hand writing begin!
Are you ready for the top 15 photos of 2015 challenge? For the past few years Chelsea and I have recapped our year in photos (in relation to the year) accompanied with a short caption for each. For 2013 and 2014 you joined in and did the same (sharing photos and stories) and I hope you will do the same for 2015!
This is a fun activity to do when you have some free time in the next few weeks. Sit down, turn off the TV, disconnect from social media and start back in January looking through all your photos of this year. Reminisce on the emotions you felt, the people you met and the things you experienced!
What are the top 15 things that stood out? Share them with us by writing a blog post, creating a Facebook album or sending them to your friends and family via email. Use the #15BY15IN15 so we can keep connected and see your photos and read your captions! I am looking forward to seeing what your 2015 is all about!
Here are my top 15 photos for 2015:
Hong Kong – Chelsea and I delivering a keynote in Hong Kong together called, “The Power of Partnerships” and the audience took a selfie with us (and our new hats they gave us as gifts)! High energy, lots of fun and a fantastic memory! Thank you Hong Kong for being amazing and can’t wait to see you again soon!
31 Days of Kindness – This year’s 31 Days of Kindness got bigger, spread farther and made an even larger impact than I expected! I am committed to making #31DaysofKindness even stronger in 2016 and want to see more than 1,000 people join in on the cause! Thank you to everyone who joined this year and let’s continue to spread kindness around the world together!
The Whole 30 – Every year for the past 8 – 10 years I have given things up for 50 days (not-reilgously related) at a time! This year I decided to take on the The Whole 30 Challenge and it had to have been one of the most difficult ones I have ever done. I am thankful I did though because it taught me new recipes and showed me I can survive without carbs. Today, I still eat carbs!
High School Reunion – A perfect mixture of high school drama mixed with amazing friends I have not seen for over 10 years! I can’t believe it has been a decade since I graduated from Humble High School. I am lucky to have the friends I do and to have worked alongside an awesome team of people who planned this event! Best high school reunion ever!
World Championship of Public Speaking – Every year I go back to the World Championships of Public Speaking I am always in awe that I get to be part of this group! It still doesn’t feel real at times and I am thankful for the lessons I learned, the people I met and the speeches I gave this year for the Toastmasters community.
Stonehenge – Back in 2005 I landed in London with a plan to go to Stonehenge. I found out that the trip would have cost me most of the money that I had budgeted for food and a hostel so I had to put this World Wonder on hold! 10 years later I came back with the woman I love and got to experience for the first time with her! I am glad I waited!
Australia – Can we all agree that Australians are amazing! This is my first time feeding a Kangaroo and speaking in Perth, Australia! I am so thankful for D17 and the experiences they gave Chelsea and me!
Sugar – This is my dog Sugar. Enough said!
Scuba Diving – Chelsea and I gave a keynote together in Hong Kong this year (Thanks D89) and to top it off, the Hong Kong aquarium let me scuba dive with hammerheads, manta rays and sharks in one of the top 10 ten largest aquariums in the world!
Vistage – Vistage has changed my life and business! I am so thankful for to be part of this amazing community and to be considered one of their speakers! I have met leaders this year that have mentored me, given me business advice and connected me with people I would have never been able to reach! Here I am about to speak in NYC and I remember thinking to myself… is this a dream?
Family – This is my mom, dad and sister! We are a wild bunch and often times can be looked at as being “too close” as a family! It can be overwhelming at times but I wouldn’t change a thing! Family is the most important thing and I am beyond grateful everyday I get to be part of the Avery family! Next year I have made a commitment to see them more and spend quality time with them!
Otters – Yeap! I. Got. To. Play. With. An. OTTER! Thanks to my amazing blogging wife I got to have a private tour of Roos N More Zoo and play with my favorite animal…. the otter!
Working – I am so thankful for my job and what I get to do for a living. I want to share this photo because it’s not always big hotel rooms and huge audiences. This is me about to do a webinar in our “hotel” room so I could get wifi. I have had audience of three.. yes THREE… people this year. I have made BIG mistakes, I have accidentally hurt people’s feelings, I have had more flight delays or cancelations than I can count and I have learned so many lessons that my “notes” section on my phone is almost at capacity! If you are serious about your dream and living it, remember it’s hard work, it will be so tough at times you don’t even know how you are going to move forward, but remember your WHY and keep going! Keep going!
Public Speaking – My first speech of the year! A lot of my friends and family still don’t understand what I do for a living. This. This is what I do. I am that person at the last conference you attended who comes up on stage as the keynote speaker or a breakout session and teaches you something to improve your business. My “something” happens to be around communication skills.
Antarctica – Best trip I have taken in my life at this point! The experiences, the people and new friends I made all made it worth traveling through Drake’s Passage! Antarctica took my breath and fillings away (I lost a filling because it was so cold one day the filling popped off my tooth). This year, Chelsea and I had a goal to be the youngest couple in history to speak on all seven continents and on November 28, 2015 we made our dream a reality! Thank you to everyone who attended the live webinars. Thank you to everyone who attended in the live audiences. Thank you to everyone who supported us along this journey! Always, always always go for your BIG dreams because the world needs more people to take action on their ideas!
What are the top 15 things that stood out for you? Share them with us by writing a blog post, creating a Facebook album or sending them to your friends and family via email. Use the #15BY15IN15 so we can keep connected and see your photos and read your captions! I am looking forward to seeing what your 2015 is all about! As always…
Dream BIG,
Ryan
