Before we go any further into 2016, I wanted to take a final look back at 2015 in the first annual “Geremology.com Awards.” This online awards ceremony is to recognize stellar and noteworthy things in my life that contributed to a successful year. And the winners are…
Best Purchase
A Personal Assistant Service
In 2012 I signed up for a personal assistant service to complete the tedious tasks that made me want to rip out the tiny strands of hair on my head. Throughout the years, this service has become such an integral part of my life that I would be lost without it. The personal assistant service wins the title for best purchase because it has saved me quite a bit of time and money while allowing me to focus on things that are a better use of my time and efforts.
- A few of my favorite completed tasks:
- Booked rental cars for every flight I’ve taken, and arranged to have the cars waiting for me plane-side upon landing
- Found a milk company to deliver fresh glass-bottled milk to my door for the same price as buying milk from the supermarket
- Tracked down my watch that I lost at the TSA airport security and had it shipped to my house
- Found a brand new stove for 80% less than the original price
- Paid my parking ticket after I texted them a picture of it
To get yourself a personal assistant service like mine, check out FancyHands.com
Best Moment
Quitting my job
I enjoyed my job as a Manager of Executive Coaching and accomplished some pretty amazing things for the almost 10 years that I worked there, but the day that I quit was the happiest moment of my year…maybe my decade. It wasn’t due to bad feelings towards anyone or anything, but it was because I was able to start a new chapter of life from scratch. I’ve watched Steve Jobs’ commencement address a few times, but there was one thing he said that didn’t fully resonate with me until I resigned. He said, “The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.“
All my life, I felt like I’ve been following a typical roadmap that just kind of ended. The roadmap went like this:
1) [While in Trinidad] Make it to America so you can go to a good school
2) I made it to America, now work hard in school to make it to a good college
3) I made it to a good college, now work hard to get a good job
4) I made got a good job, now work hard to get a good promotion
5) I got a good promotion, now work hard to make a lot of money to buy a nice house and car
6) I bought a nice house and car, now…
It seemed like everything just slowed down from there. I wasn’t ready to get married and have kids who would repeat the entire process, and I knew that there was more to life. So I took a jump of faith and eliminated the security of a full time job in order to put all of my efforts into the things that would bring me the future that I wanted. This moment became the best moment of my year and it has led me to living a more fulfilled life.
Best Trip
Dubai, UAE
The week before my trip to Dubai was my final week as a full-time employee at my job. I didn’t plan to take a vacation immediately after, but as serendipity would have it, the schedule worked out perfectly. I flew to Dubai, contemplated the next steps of my life and for the first time that I remember, I felt free of the weights and stresses of work and school. I felt like my future was a blank sheet of paper and I had the freedom to create anything that I’d like. Witnessing the massive amount of affluence in Dubai caused me to elevate my entire way of thinking and it was the perfect springboard for the next chapter of life.
Dubai Trip Summary # 1
Dubai Trip Summary # 2
Dubai Trip Summary # 3
Best Creation
The Peculiar PPL Cell Phone Case
The Peculiar PPL Cell Phone case has been my favorite creation of the year. It was the first product to have the new Peculiar PPL “Reaching for the Stars” logo on it, it was a new product category for Peculiar PPL, it functioned extremely well by preventing my phone from getting multiple scuffs, and it was well-received by the many people who purchased one. In 2016, I plan on releasing a few additional designs, like the one pictured above.
Best Book
Bold: How to Go Big, Create Wealth and Impact the World
In 2015 I read a lot of great books, but my favorite was “Bold” by Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler. My life’s goal is to positively change the world, and the book addressed the ways that this can be done andwhy many more people should have the same desire. Here are a handful of my favorite quotes in the book:
- “If you want the largest increase in motivation and productivity, then big goals lead to the best outcomes. Big goals significantly outperform small goals, medium-sized goals, and vague goals.”
- “Either disrupt yourself or be disrupted by someone else.”
- “The world’s grandest challenges contain the world’s biggest business opportunities.”
- “Without the right mindset, entrepreneurs have absolutely no chance of success.”
Now it’s time to proceed to 2016 where even more amazing things will continue to happen. Lots and lots of amazing things!