It's time to bring some new energy into 2021! RESET, REFRESH and RECHARGE is just what we need!
For many of us, a New Year remains a doorway, a transitional portal to a new and improved lifestyles. Instead of New Year's resolutions which I get excited to do every year: eat more greens, drink 6-8 cups of water, become fit and strong, work harder, and save money.
This year instead of long term goal, I've decided to spend less time on social media and making better use of all those hours to refine my habits. Sadly, the daily social media we consume has become a core part of our communication and how we express ourselves. I occasionally catch myself scrolling through my feed meaninglessly having negative feelings of comparisons (usually it's always work comparison...not promoting enough).
Do we question our life's progression in accordance with another's latest achievements? Do we evaluate our success in accordance with number of followers and likes? Do we allow our mental state to be shaken by people we don't know? So why the heck do you want to do it?
I'm guilty of charged for all those answers and admit that it fills the gap of being alone and distracted. I've decided to delete the app accessing to social media for awhile.
So far, I've really enjoyed the meaningful and enriching interactions with my dearest friends and family offline.
Setting intentions starts with mindfulness, focusing on the process and on small daily intentions, incremental steps to help us avoid overwhelmed situations.
As the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzche said: "He who has a why can deal with any how."
Going into the new year, we we can remain mindful of the reason for wanting a change, we are more likely to pull through.
Here are some of the RESET, REFRESH and RECHARGED I've started to implement:
1. Unfollow and unsubscribe and deciding what to let go of.
Recently, I made myself a cup of tea sitting in front of my fireplace dedicating two hours to unfollowing and muting a bunch of accounts from my social media, and deleting all the unwanted photos and emails. Just like our physical home, letting our inbox or mental mind get cluttered can feel chaotic, with most of that mess stemming from unnecessarily disorderliness.
2. Writing my own mantra/prayer/grace, silently sitting and repeating.
Because when you pray and pray and pray or affirm affirm and affirm, the universe will honor and echo back at you. (By no means I'm religious, it's a way to maintain a positive outlook in life.) You don't need to be religious to write a mantra or prayer. It helps brings you closer to yourself as well as the higher power you pray to. By being thankful for every day and day to come, write down what you're hoping for, what you're asking for, and what you humbly need. And remember to pray passionately with sincerity.
3. Reflect on your productivity and time management.
I used to think time management was only a business tool. It was something that you used to increase productivity and eventually be paid more money. Then I learned that time management is a core skill upon which everything else in life depends. Time is our most precious resource. It is the most valuable thing we have. It is perishable, it is irreplaceable, and it cannot be saved. It can only be reallocated from activities of lower value to activities of higher value.
4. Spending more time and expressing gratitude.
Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible. With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives. Think of a time you told someone how grateful you were for their help, support or even just being part of your life. How did that moment made you and that person feel? Even appreciating the intangible things. Sharing with you my morning grateful mantra/prayer. This expression of gratitude is a self-promoting exercise I do regularly.
"Thank you for letting me awake from my sleep and returning movement to my body; to smell to see to taste and to touch; to breathe and engage my mind to enjoy all that is around me. To appreciate endless opportunities and chances to become better each day. To learn to grow, listen and love, smile and evolve. I will use all these gifts in a positive way to love myself and everyone around me."
I hope you're kicking off the New Year with a positive mindset, reset some of your habits and be ready to take on refresh tasks with inspiration, love and tranquility.