I’ve never met a person who didn’t love the Peanuts character Charlie Brown. There’s something about him that makes us like him – to root for him when the chips are down. Maybe it’s his do-good nature or his naïve vulnerability that draws us in. Perhaps it’s his ability to wear one shirt every day of his life and somehow make that one squiggly hair on top of his head look like it belongs there. Whatever it is, we like him.

I am convinced that the reason most of us like Charlie Brown is because we can identify with him. I think there’s a little bit of him in all of us. I happen to believe that most people want to do good and want to make a difference in the world – most people just aren’t convinced that they actually can. I believe there is an inherent vulnerability in us too, an insecurity that lies just beneath the surface waiting to remind us of our flaws. It’s that voice inside that questions our ability to do more, to be more, and to have more. Charles Schultz, creator of the Peanuts characters put a face to that voice – he named her Lucy.

Lucy is the character we love to hate. She’s made an art form out of messing with our pal, Charlie Brown. She lives for it. She wakes up every single day with just one mission – to make his life miserable. She puts him down, makes fun of him, and then unleashes her signature move…the old switcheroo. She coaxes Charlie Brown into letting her hold the football so he can kick a field goal. Yet we all know how it’s going to end. I can remember as a kid screaming at the television set “Don’t do it, Charlie! Don’t do it, man!” He never heard me. And sure enough, at the last possible second, she swipes the football from his path, and he not only whiffs the kick but ends up flat on his backside. Lucy is a piece of work.

Lucy is also a metaphor for life.

You see, I think Lucy represents exactly how life works. The moment we think we can do something, life is there to whisper in our ear and tell us that we can’t. Life reminds us of our past failures and convinces us that we’re not good enough, not skilled enough, not gifted enough to pursue anything beyond where we are right now. And the minute we dare to try and kick one through the uprights, life yanks the ball out from under us, and down we go – right on our rear end. I love what the great motivator Les Brown says…he says, “When life knocks you down, try to land on your back – because if you can look up, you can get up.” How true it is. Life is going to knock us down, there’s no doubt about it. But what separates successful people from unsuccessful people is the ability to get back up, adjust our game plan, and take deliberate, focused action.

Now, Charlie Brown was not a quitter. He kept going back again and again and again. He didn’t let his past failures keep him from continuing to try. His problem was that although he was willing to keep trying, he was misguided in his belief that if he kept doing the same things, he would somehow get a different result. We all know that’s the definition of insanity. I heard a speaker one time say that motivation is worthless if you’re heading in the wrong direction. From the outside looking in it was easy to see that Charlie Brown had plenty of motivation but was heading the wrong way. If you are going nowhere, speed is not your friend! Charlie Brown continued to beat his head against the wall. He was busy but he wasn’t making progress. He was in a rut. He gave up the one thing that can change everything – the power of choice. Each and every one of us has the power to choose the outcome we desire. You can choose right now a new direction for your life and new heights for your business. You can choose to break free from limiting beliefs and latch onto new ones that will inspire you to dream bigger, energize you to go farther, and encourage you to be your best and make a difference.

So, the question then is, what do you believe? When it comes to success in business and in life are you focused on what’s probable or what’s possible? Do you pursue your dreams or what everyone else thinks you should do? When life pulls the old switcheroo on you and you land on your butt, do you think that’s just the way life is for you or do you jump up, adjust, and move forward? How you answer these questions makes a world of difference in the life you create. And make no mistake about it – life is exactly as we create it. If you play small you will get small results. If you aim high, even if you miss you can achieve something special. Michelangelo said, "The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we hit it." You see, most people give all their power away. They tend to set their sights on what other people see for them rather than what they might dream for themselves. They shrink down to the image others put on them rather than step into the greatness they were born to achieve. Listen, the only thing keeping you from going where you’ve never been – is you.

I know most of you have gone through the process of setting goals for the new year. I want to ask you to do me a favor. Get your plans back out and find a quiet place where you can think and dream and create a vision for the future. As you re-visit your plan, I want you to focus on a few ideas to help get you moving in the right direction.

1. Decide what you really want. Take time to really see the future you want to create. Where would you go? What would you do? Who would you spend time with? Who would you help? Spend time alone contemplating the future. Create a vision for your business and your life that is based on possibility rather than probability. Don’t go after a lay-up. See a picture in your mind of what you want and imagine that it’s already happened. Vision is a powerful tool. Myles Munroe said this about vision. “Vision is the ability to go into the future and see what is possible – and then come back and make plans to go there.” It is time to free yourself to become more, to do more, and to have more.
2. Develop an inner circle. John Maxwell says that one is too small a number to achieve anything significant. Surround yourself with positive people. People who support your vision and will fuel your passion to make it a reality. Say goodbye to Lucy. Silence the critics by not giving them your ear – and as for the inner critic, the one most often times the loudest…it’s time to tell that one to hush up. Replace those voices with affirmations that support the achievement of your goals. Read books, memorize quotes, and listen to audio programs that feed your mind with the good stuff. This step alone could have saved Charlie Brown a lot of “good griefs”!
3. Develop a good plan. Notice that I said a “good” plan. I have known many people – talented people, who never fulfill their potential because they’re too busy creating the perfect plan. This doesn’t mean you don’t need a plan – you do. It simply means that plans evolve. They are dynamic and flowing not static and set in stone. Plans ebb and flow as you work them. Some doors open and some doors close – but many never step through because they aren’t finished with their plans. Make your plans. Make good plans – but move on to the next step.
4. Take Action. Success requires action. The best plans are of no value unless you act with intention and purpose. Once you can see where you are going, create an inner circle and develop a plan, then take action immediately. Don’t wait for everything to be perfect because it never will be. Don’t get caught up in knowing exactly how everything will happen – you will never know it all. In fact, it has been said that how is none of your business. Action, in the right direction, for the right reasons will bring to you new ideas, new people, and new energy to your project. My friend John Miller says that “procrastination is the friend of failure.” Don’t let your dream become a casualty of inaction.

I believe you have something special to accomplish. I do not believe for one minute that you’ve made your most significant contribution to the world. You have an opportunity to make life better for an untold number of people. To help them in their time of need – to encourage them, console them, and to help them heal.

I guess Zig Ziglar said it best:

“If you’ll help enough other people get what they want – you’ll get everything that you want.”

Your greatest masterpiece is still within you, and I for one am looking forward to seeing it.

Make this year your best year ever!

What to read more from Kevin? His latest book, Unleashing Your Hero, is available for purchase online at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and Books-A-Million. Use coupon code 5HERO at Amazon.com checkout to receive $5 off your copy (while supplies last!).

Kevin D. Brown is a branding and culture expert. He’s an award-winning motivational speaker, bestselling author, and the creator of The Hero Effect®. Follow him on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.