It’s about this time of year when people start to think about setting new year’s resolutions. Let’ me ask you this… when you hear that term, New Year’s resolution, how does it make you feel? Some people love setting new year’s resolutions as it makes them feel focused and ready to bring in the new year. However, setting new years resolutions often leaves others feeling defeated and guilty because they feel they will fail even before they’ve started based on previous years outcomes. I’m not going to talk to you today about how to set more new years resolutions but I’d like to encourage you, before the bell tolls at midnight on new year’s day 2021, to reflect on this year and look towards the new year with focus and excitement.
In this blog, you are going to learn how to say goodbye to 2021 with grace and gratitude, bring in the new year right and rock 2021.
I’m sure we can all agree that this past year, 2020, was not the year any of us had planned but I encourage you to take a moment to reflect on the good things that came from this year. Of course, none of us could have predicted that a virus would cause the entire world to shut down but in these shut downs many good things occurred. Let me go over some of them. As I go through some of these, make note of the good things that happened in your life because of the pandemic.
1) In many areas of the world, there was a sense of community spirit. Many communities banded together and helped each other out when they could. People who lived alone or were unable to leave their homes to simply get groceries had neighbours and friends who dropped off goods to the doorstep. There was this attitude of, “we’re all in this together, rather than the typical every man for himself that we so often see. In Italy, opera singer, Maurizio Marchini, sang from his balcony to bring joy to his neighbours during the lockdown. So many communities, even though physically separated, still came together in spirit.
2) As people stayed home, there seemed to be reduced carbon emissions and there were reports in some areas of the world that more wildlife emerged. As I’m sure everyone listening is well aware, the lifestyle we have developed for ourself as Human beings is not conducive to a healthy planet. According to David Attenborough, in his new documentary, A Life On Our Planet, in less than 100 years we have destroyed over 70% of our natural world and if things don’t change soon, we will have destroyed everything. Therefore, humans forced to stay inside and leave nature alone, if only for a short while, I feel is a good thing.
3) There seemed to be a shift in perspective as far as the people who really make a difference in the world, such as those people who were deemed essential workers. We live in a society where so much importance and praise is placed on celebrities rather on the people who are truly making a difference such as doctors, nurses, teachers and even the check-out lady at our local grocery store who many of us have taken for granted. Now, people who make a difference and support us in many ways in our day-to-day life are being recognized for their contributions, which I think has been long overdue.
4) I know for me, the lockdown has been an opportunity to slow down and really think about what’s important to me. Is running around staying busy always working and hustling the most important thing for me, or is taking time to relax, listen to and take care of my body important. With the chance to take a step back from work, my stress levels decreased and my body felt like it was given a chance to heal a little. I know many people have said, although there were other stressors that came with the lockdown, their levels of stress came down because they were finally given a chance just to relax.
5) Many people were able to spend more time with their families than ever before. I acknowledge that for some, staying at home may not have been the most positive experience due to negative living stations and my heart goes out to these people. Yet there were other people who didn’t get to see their families due to work and other obligations who finally got to spend some time with them. I think many people have appreciated this.
6) Because people were spending more time at home, and still are, many dogs and other animals were adopted and found forever homes. I personally love being able to stay home with my dog and I’ve heard many people say they never could’ve got a dog if it wasn’t for a shift from working at the office to working from home.
Overall, there are many things to be grateful for this year, even though it wasn’t the year any of us expected. However, I encourage you to take a moment before the new year to make a list of all the good things that happened this year and make note of all the things you are grateful for. I believe that everything happens for a reason, and although I don’t understand it nor do I like all the political BS and hidden agendas that has accompanied this situation, I believe it had to happen for us to all learn something from it. Whether it was a basic personal realization that we need to spend more time with loved ones or something bigger such as looking at government structures, corruption that goes on behind closed doors or the vast human population and what it’s doing to our planet, this year is one that will go down in history.
As we leave 2020 behind with grace and gratitude, we can also look forward to 2021 with focus and excitement. I encourage you now, in the state of gratitude for 2020, to start thinking about how you want 2021 to look like for you. Yes, it is possible you could develop the best plan for 2021 and then something else comes up to throw you off that plan, but setting goals is never about having things set in stone. Rather, it’s about getting focused on what you want and then letting go of how you’ll actually get there.
I encourage you now to look at all the different areas of your life such as your health, relationships, career and anything else you have going on and give it a rating on a scale of zero to ten. This will give you an indication of what areas may need the most attention and improvement. Then, think about some goals you’d like to set for those areas of your life. I want you to notice how it makes you feel when you set those goals,.
In order for a goal to be successfully accomplished you must take a look at the limiting beliefs, or feelings, you have about this goal. Are the feelings you have about each goal positive and enough to keep you motivated to move toward the goal, or are they negative and make you feel sad, angry or upset, which of course will prevent you from reaching your goal.
They key to lasting success is to relate a positive feeling to the goal. Our subconscious mind is very powerful and will always be right. If we believe we don’t deserve to obtain a goal, or we have negative feelings or belief around that goal, our subconscious mind will do everything to ensure we fail. However, the opposite is also true. If we tap deep inside our subconscious, take a good look at the Divine, successful person who is already there and see that we can be successful and that accomplishing our goals will bring great things and positive feelings then of course this must happen!
So, when you set goals and plans for this coming year, ask yourself and contemplate these 10 questions:
1) What do I want to accomplish this year?
2) Why do I want to accomplish this goal?
3) What are my beliefs around this goal and my ability to accomplish this goal? Are they positive or negative feelings?
4) How do I feel about this goal? Are these feelings of happiness and joy or are they fear, anger and sadness?
5) What do I need to do to change my beliefs and feelings about this goal?
6) What obstacles could get in my way of accomplishing my goal?
7) How will making these changes affect the outcome?
8) What actions must I take to successfully accomplish my goal?
9) Am I ready and willing to commit to my goal?
10) What support do I need to ensure I successfully accomplish my goal?
The last question is one that is very important. To know that you are not alone and can call on support is very comforting. You can elicit the help of others who have gone through a similar experience or who have the expertise to help you be successful will be the key to your success. If you’re goal is to lose weight and be in the best shape of your life, then a personal trainer, health coach and/or nutritionist will help with the details of your healthy and fitness action plan to ensure you are doing things is a safe and effective manner. A life or empowerment coach may be what you need to help you tap into your inner self and inspire you to take positive action. If you want to be successful in your business then a business coach, an accountant and bookkeeper may be what you need to build your business and take control of your financial situation. These are all examples of people who will help you be successful in any area of your life. You do not have to do it all by yourself.
If you are looking for assistance in gaining better health, wellness and happiness this year, I’d love to help. Please visit my website at www.RJOWellness.com or through email at rjowellness@gmail.com and I’d be happy to give you a complementary discovery session to help you figure out your goals and what you need to do to accomplish them this year.
I also want to give you a gift, a free download of my workbook, Create & Manifest Your Vision. This workbook will allow you to take a detailed look of all areas of your life and set step by step action plans to get you to where you want to go. CLICK HERE to go to learn more about the book and use the code, YOURVISION2021, for your free download.
I encourage you to do things differently this year. Einstein said, “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Take a step you’ve never done before, make a decision that you will get out of your comport zone, commit to inspired action and take it one step at a time towards your dreams. Make this year one that is enriched with happiness, joy, love and success. Go confidently in the direction of your dreams, live the life you imagine and be the change you want to see in the world.
Until next time my friends,
Keep rockin your wellness.
Rachel Joy Olsen, BSC., MBA
Wellness & Spiritual Life COach