On Tuesday night, there was a full moon, the first full moon after the Harvest Moon. It’s called the Hunter’s Moon and it lasts for two nights, coincidentally the night before and of my birthday. I had no idea. My mom, Suzy Farbman, author of “GodSigns” sent me a quick note, just bringing it to my attention and pointing out it was “some kind of sign, for sure.”

It’s hard to avoid the signs nature puts in our paths. And it is often only in retrospect that we are able to see how those things affected our choices in the moment. As a hunter, it is an invaluable skill to remain focused and present on the hunt, not to let your mind wander to other things but to see the details in the broken twigs or disturbed earth, the miniscule but vital details that confirm that what you are hunting has crossed your path.

So as I looked at that beautiful Hunter’s moon, I reveled in the details of the events of this past year and marveled at how each day has brought me a step closer to the targets I seek. Whether through learning something new, moving into fresh office space, celebrating one of my sons’ birthdays or simply appreciating another sunrise, it has been a great year. And as I move into another year of this life, that moon reminded me to look up, get above and clear and set my sights on fresh targets that will make my life and the lives of those around me even better.

Pay attention to the signs in your life. Sometimes a red light is more than a traffic nuisance. And sometimes a full moon can alter your perspective and provide you with the cosmic reassurance that you are on the right path.

Each spring and summer, I observe the deer on my property up north, watch them as they grow and change and begin to determine which buck is going to be my target. Once I choose him, I learn every thing about him: his usual paths, where he sleeps, which doe he prefers: all in an effort to find him in my sights on that first day of bow season, so I can take my shot at my target.

I talk to people all the time about hunting and business and life and cannot stress enough the importance of figuring out WHAT YOU WANT. I was talking to a woman who has been in an off-an-on relationship for years and when I asked her “but what do you want from him?” she replied, “I don’t know.” I told her that is the problem. Without a desired outcome, you will never hit your target.

You have to weigh the variables, the weather, the personalities, the good and bad and then get in the hunt.   And hunting is dirty, miserable, exciting, exhilarating business. It is LIFE in a micro situation. Sometimes you have to sit in a tree, in the rain, for hours, and wait and think and make tough calls: do I cut and run? Do I wait and hope? You have to make the best decision based on the information you have and go with your gut.

I’m not saying “I don’t know” isn’t a great place to start. But it is not a great place to stay.   Start moving the pieces around and testing the wind. The best way to start your hunt is with YOU.

• Get curious with yourself first before you start factoring in others.
• Observe yourself from an above and clear position.
• Replay the movie of your day in your head and consider how you felt in various moments. Not how you felt in your head, how you felt in your heart.
• Now move those observations and feelings into a conscious goal. For example: I felt stressed when I pitched this idea, so I need to alter the idea so I feel confident when I pitch, therefore I can close the deal. Your goal is to match your actions, your thoughts and your emotions with your desired outcome.

I’m writing this in a tree stand, in the rain, waiting for that buck to come my way. I’ve weighed the information and the odds are good. Nonetheless, I know for now, I am content, happy, to be in this moment, in this tree, waiting to find out.

How many times have you been at a hot crossroads in your life? You know, the instance where you need to hold the uncomfortable moment of silence, make the big ask right there or need to clear an issue. You know you should ask the difficult question, or finish the break up, or say nothing at all, but then you choke and you blow it. You don’t ask for what you want or hold the line to take it, instead you take a cowardly road.

Guess where cowardly roads lead? Nowhere good.

What if instead of buckling, you make your true self known up front? What if you closed the deal, or sealed the relationship, or simply held your ground in a tough moment? Every individual needs to have a brand, an identity, your very own electromagnetic signature on the world and we must use this to our full advantage. Authenticity is owning all your perceived faults and turning them into assets. Try these two simple steps to owning your sh**:

1. Have a clear desired outcome when walking into a situation and using your unique personality or your true hunter lay it out there on the table.

2. Own everything about your true brand, your unique personality. When you are real and you are authentic you will be on the trail to bigger and better wins.

In the morning we wake up and start our day with a simple choice – whether or not we will be embracing that day for all it has to offer. Do you get up and stretch, prepping your mind and body for tasks ahead, or do you hit the snooze button and roll back over? Are you fired up to seize the opportunities you’ll face or are you just punching the clock, day in and day out? The list can go on and on, but the bottom line is crystal clear: we choose how we want to feel.

No matter what happens to you throughout the day, you choose how you’d like to process it. When a setback happens, do you view it as a problem or as an opportunity to fix the situation, grow and do better next time?

When I start on a hunt, my attitude is hopeful, of course. I try to use all my skills and tools to the best of my ability the whole time I’m up in the tree stand, down in the brush, or wading through a riverbank. Even if it’s a day some people would call “unsuccessful” in the end, I always view it as a win. I got to spend the time out in nature, had a chance to work on my tracking patterns and learn the land – all of which I can use the next time around.

It’s just the way I choose to look at things – it can help you not just on the hunt, but in the board room and at your family’s kitchen table. If things aren’t going right and you’re feeling discouraged, stop blaming everything and everyone else. The choice is yours – start today. Adjust your attitude and watch what happens.

Recently, HealthRise (the company I run today) did an all-company retreat at Timber Ridge Ranch in Northern Michigan. Throughout my career, I have attended or led more retreats than I can count. Each retreat has its own power, its own purpose: but there is one common ingredient that makes a retreat, a family vacation, or even a business trip special. That ingredient is inside each and every one of you; it is the conscious decision to be present.

I went into the retreat with several desired outcomes: to bond and build on our relationships and trust in one another; to round out our skills and create the ultimate tribe; to have each one us walk away feeling more committed to HealthRise and our cause to change healthcare; and to grow as individuals and as a team. As a seasoned hunter, I know the only way to make all those things happen is to be committed to be fully alive and present for every moment we were together.

When you make that vital decision, to not judge and instead to be alive and awake in the moment, the opportunities, the memories, the growth you achieve can be staggering. When you bring this mindset in as a desired outcome and live by it, many things begin to change. Paradigm shifts will occur in your life, catapulting you toward the bigger goals in life that you may or may not even realize yet.

The next time you are away from the office or school, outside of your daily routine, put effort into being there in the moment. Resist the temptation to judge and instead climb up high into that tree stand, hunter – and stay above and clear in the moment!