There is no denying that 2020 has been a whirlwind of a year for us all, and in one way or another all of us have been impacted.
A really common trend us humans tend to do is milk the bad. For example, how many of us have said we’ve had a really awful day, but really, we just had a bad 10, 30 or 60 minutes of the day, and then decided to throw in the towel? I know I have!
Here are some ways that can help end the year with a bang!
REFLECT
Start by reflecting on the year, and asking yourself some questions such as:
- What have you accomplished this year?
- What challenges have you faced this year?
- How have you dealt with these challenges?
- How would you recommend someone else deal with these challenges?
By asking yourselves these questions, you will more than likely find that you have accomplished more than you thought.
GET CLEAR
If you had some New Years Resolutions, check in on them. Which of these have you accomplished, or started to accomplish? Which one of these can you accomplish this year taking into consideration your current situation? If you didn’t have resolutions, make some goals!
I personally like to separate my goals into sections, such as Professional, Personal, Health etc. Sometimes it’s really easy to focus on one part of our lives that we forget about the others. This is a really great way to put in effort in all areas of your life, and see an improvement in your life as a whole.
TAKE SMALL STEPS
Remember, achieving a goal is almost never getting through one big task, it’s completing little tasks along the way.
With goals, I always like to write down why they are goals, and how I am going to complete them. The ‘why’ highlights purpose, and the ‘how’ makes it easier to accomplish.
I understand that some goals may not be met completely, but what’s a step forward? If you want to start a business, you could simply start with listening to podcasts, or reading books around the best way to approach it. Every little step you take is progress!
GET INSPIRED
We all lose motivation along the way. The truth is, discipline is what takes you places, not motivation. So how do we get disciplined?
Discipline comes from wanting things enough (which is why we write down WHY we want our goals), and creating habits that will help you get there. You won’t be able to create habits if you don’t truly want your goal. You turn these steps into habits by being consistent, and you become consistent by being disciplined.
However, sometimes, even after all of this, we still need a bit of inspiration. A great way to do this is to make a vision board, and to look at it everyday to remind you of what you want. Or you could listen to a really great self-development e-book. The options are endless. The point of this is to find something that evokes the emotion you want to feel when you have accomplished this goal. This should give you that pick me up when needed!
GIVE YOURSELF CREDIT
This step ties in well with the first step of reflection.
The above tips are great ways to turn your year around, and make you feel accomplished. However, those feelings of anxiety, hopelessness, sadness, fear and frustration are all completely valid. It has not been an easy ride. If you have managed to navigate all those emotions whilst also being a parent AND working from home, that’s amazing! If you have navigated those emotions after you have lost your job, and are actively looking for a new one, amazing! There is no right or wrong way to get through this, but remember that you’re doing your best.
“Not all storms come to disrupt your life, some come to clear your path.” Trust the process.
Author: Nikita Nilmadhub – Liberty IT Human Services and Marketing Assistant
