New Year, New You!

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Welcome to 2024. There is always something refreshing about writing the date with a new year. It gives us a re-start, re-fresh, Take 2 feeling. What I have found myself guilty of in the past is jumping into the new year without closing off the old year. There are so many learnings, celebrations, A-ha's, and memories to cherish before we say farewell.

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How can we anchor these feelings? Create habits around positive activities or say goodbye to behaviours, thoughts, and actions that hold us back or are time-sucking.

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I invite you in the next few days to review your 2023. It may be hard to remember all the amazing things you have accomplished, places you have travelled, and projects you have completed. I start with my phone and scroll back to Jan 2023 pictures, a great reminder to me of where I was this time last year, see what a year represents. Scroll through the various months and relive some of the moments you have forgotten about. This forces us to see that time is our currency. We have to be intentional with how we spend our time, who we share it with and what activities we choose to do in it.

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Hopefully, you have a few smiles at some forgotten good times.

Now that you've scrolled down memory lane. I would ask yourself a few questions, it is good to write down your answers and activate more senses and re-visit them later.

What were the 3 accomplishments you were most proud of in 2023? These can be work, financial, health, family etc.

What were your 3 greatest learnings in 2023?

Knowing what you know now, what will you do differently or wish you hadn't done in 2023? Our challenges are trying to teach us something. What was the best decision you made in 2023?

Describe your future self. What do they look like? work at, live? travel? do for fun? Purpose?  Spirituality? Relationships? Friendships? Visualize the improved version of yourself. What activities can you do consistently over the next 12 months to bridge the gap between your current and future self?

This is where James Clear's Atomic Habits comes in. Getting addicted to the process vs solely focusing on the outcome. We become what we do consistently. When we stop negotiating with ourselves, we start to automate the process and slowly start welcoming change. Over time we do it with no effort or thought, it is automatic.

Finally, what is one big challenge you will set for yourself in 2024? Remember if it is too easy, it is not a goal. Having one lofty goal is healthy. It balances attainability with perseverance and digging deep for it. Activating our desire to move out of one state into another.

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As humans at 40% effort, we feel we are nearing our max, we haven't even gotten warmed up. We would surprise ourselves at our true potential if we only leaned it and permitted ourselves to step on the gas. Get uncomfortable, see what lies on the other side for us, change and growth.

To close, as my peloton instructor reminds me every morning, "We are a work in progress and a masterpiece at the same time". While we have goals and are committed to the process of improvement, do so with compassion and grace. We are human beings, not human doings.

                 Wishing you a successful and fulfilling 2024!