New Year. New Beginnings. New Feel. New Chances.
A fresh start.
Here’s 8 easy ways to jump start 2018.
CHOOSE A ONE WORD THEME
If the prospect of goal setting makes your palms sweat try making 2018 a themetic year. Gretchen Rubin author of The Happiness Project tried this a couple of years ago and has continued ever since. Instead of crafting a long list of goals Rubin focuses on just one word for the year. For 2016 she went with ‘upgrade’ and closed out the year with a podcast and a new book. Not too shabby! Try on words like freedom, gratitude, expand, jump, joy, peace, simplicity, transform or yes for size just to see how they feel and then focus on what your theme might be.
Try a one word themetic approach to 2018
SHED THE OLD AND MAKE ROOM FOR NEW
Eat, Pray, Love author and self-discovery expert Elizabeth Gilbert starts each year by making a two-sided list. On one side she writes down all the things she’d like to leave behind her in the new year. On the other side she writes down all the thing she’d like to invite into her life in the next 12 months. Next, she burns the paper and deposits the ashes in the nearest body of water. Not near water? You could spread the ashes in a place that is meaningful for you.
Deposit the ashes of what you don’t want
DO ONE NEW THING A DAY
If your mandate is to push the boundaries of your comfort zone it could be as easy as doing one new thing a day. These don’t have to be big how about wearing red lipstick for the first time, watching a TED talk or listening to a podcast on a subject that is brand new to you, trying an unfamiliar ethnic cuisine, experimenting with a new style, you get the drift.
Everyday one new thing
HOW DO I WANT TO FEEL THIS YEAR?
This question takes what you want out of the ‘task’ and ‘doing’ mode into the experience mode.
Every want you have ever had is because deep down you want to feel something – more peace, more freedom, more abundance, more love, more fun, more security….
What will it be this year? Pick one. Write it down. Give it an entire page. Go crazy, colour it and make it beautiful.
What the heart wants to feel is a stronger than what the head wants to get done.
Feelings are like a magnet. How we feel attracts corresponding experiences into our lives.
How’s that for a winning strategy!
QUESTIONS TO GET OUT OF A COMFORT ZONE
The new year means nothing if your mind is boxed in a comfort zone. In 2018 don’t just think outside the box try thinking like there is no box. Free your mind. I’m a big fan of thought provoking questions. Start by asking questions that challenge you to dig deep and look inside your heart. Questions that break you from the comfortable distractions in your life so you can focus your thoughts on what matters most. Journaling your answers is a great idea. Here’s a few questions to get started.
In one sentence who are you?
In one word what do you live for?
What is worth the pain?
What will you never give up on?
What is one thing you always try to avoid?
What is something you take for granted every day?
What do you need most right now?
What would you immediately do differently if you knew no one would judge you.
What is something no one could never take from you?
Who could you forgive right now?
What impact do you want to leave on those you love?
Life is too short to tolerate________.
What is one thing that used to scare you that doesn’t anymore?
What do you want to remember forever?
What do you always look forward to?
What’s something everybody should be able to say before they die?
The questions you ask yourself a regular basis determine the person you will become. Self questioning, when done effectively and consistently gradually frees the mind to identify and focus on what matters most.
STOP AND LISTEN
We’ve all heard this piece of wisdom, “Everything you need to know is already inside you.” If that’s the case where is it when you need it? Ah-ha. To hear it you have to stop, unplug, disconnect and embrace stillness. Only then will you be able to hear the intuitive whispers that come from the soul. Stopping doesn’t mean sitting in a cave, adopting a full lotus position and going into a deep mediation. Stopping could mean a walk in nature, listening to music, having a shower or a bath or going for a drive or a swim in the ocean. Doing something that allows you to release the grip of the rational mind and un-focus it allowing you to connect with your heart and intuitive self.
Getting out in nature is one way to embrace stillness
BUILD A HEALTHY STRONG BODY
There are many ways to build a strong healthy body; exercise and physical activity, health promoting diets and strategies of all kinds. Here’s a good one that will kick start every day. It’s an anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-fungal shot. Can all that goodness be in one shot? It can. But let me tell you right up front even though I am a devoted fan of turmeric this is an acquired taste. I’m drinking this concoction every morning in January to see how I feel. So far it’s a thumbs up. It was developed by Lina Aurell and Mia Clase founders of Food Pharmacy with Stig Bengmark a former chief surgeon and stomach bacteria research scientist. Worth a try.
Turmeric Apple Vinegar Shot
100ml juice of your choice
1 tbsp ground turmeric
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground cloves
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Stir well and shoot. Follow by large glass of water.
PLAY BIG NOT SMALL
What you think you’re capable of has a direct effect on what shows up in your life. Playing small often means ‘settling’. Face it you’ve survived a lot. Think back to a time when you pulled off something spectacular you never thought you could. Today start a fresh journal. Write down some of your greatest hits or occasions when you made your own miracles. There are plenty of them. We are all capable of far more than we realize. All it takes is reminding ourselves and taking small steps daily.
Happy New Year. May it be a year that fills your heart.
Cheryl x
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