One of my favourite quotes from Atomic Habits, by James Clear "You don't rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems." You'll find this quote in the habit tracking section of the journal.
January's energy is introspective. It's a time of new beginnings and we find ourselves reflecting on our life, and how we spend it. Just as it is important to experience the new, it's also a time to deep clean and rid ourselves of the habits or beliefs that hold us back.
Re-setting your systems is a great way to break old habits and beliefs, and create new ones. It will surprise you how much freedom you can find in simple, intentional, consistent daily rituals.
Revisit your goals and intentions
Sometimes, things that are truly important to you can be overshadowed by the constant need to meet expectations and reach big, audacious goals that are so popular to set. Achieving a goal becomes the goal itself.
Something new I'm trying this year is including things that spark joy in my goals list. These are my reminders to bring more joy into my life. Some ideas are:
- Places you want to visit
- Experiences you want to have
- Interests, creative projects, and hobbies you want to pursue
- Books you want to read or podcasts you want to listen to
- Restaurants, new dishes, and cuisines you want to try
- People you want to spend more time with.
Create a simple daily routine
Simplicity. I often find my life feels more chaotic when things are overcomplicated. Whether its self inflicted or not, simplicity is the cure to chaos and overwhelm. Let go of this by intentionally choosing what is important to you. Surround yourself with the things and people that add value to your life. Set your priorities, let go and be mindful of what you allow yourself to spend your time, energy and money on. Using the values section of your Will and Way Journal can help you figure out what matters most to you.
Less is more and it starts with a simple daily routine. You'll be so surprised by how quickly your mindset and habits can change.
Are you keeping yourself busy for the sake of being busy? If you feel overwhelmed by activities that were supposed to keep you healthy and productive, reflect on your daily routine:
- How do you want to feel? Who do you want to become through your daily routine?
- What would you like to change and do more of?
- What makes you happy? What grounds you?
- What helps you stay focused and get things done?
- Understand what daily rituals are working, what habits are serving you a purpose, and what isn’t.
- Declutter your daily routine intentionally and you can rebuild it intentionally as needed.
My own daily routine was inspired by the Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod.
I start the day with my Will and Way journal, practicing gratitude and organising the important tasks in my day. This simple start to my morning kick-starts the rest of my day to be positive and productive.
Be selfish
There's a reason you need to put your own oxygen mask on before helping others. You are much more helpful to others when you look after yourself.
Make yourself a priority. Consistently.
You don't have to be perfect, but self care involves moving often, fueling your body and giving yourself space and time to unwind.
- Visualize yourself 12 months from now.
- What are you going to do to take care of yourself?
- How do you want to feel physically?
- How will you nourish your mental health?
- How will you ensure that you have enough energy?
By creating a detailed and clear well-being vision for 2023, you are, in a way, planting a mental seed that will help you act and make decisions to nurture it to its potential.