Oh, hello shiny new year!!! Let’s do alllll the things!! Let’s sign up for alllll the challenges!!! Let’s make allllll the resolutions!!!!! And don’t forget those programs, courses, memberships, groups, associations…eeekk!!!!
All the things we do require pieces of us. Pieces of our time. And precious amounts of our ENERGY.
When we get excited about something (#me) and without hesitation join something (#alsome), we don’t immediately take into consideration that it means a commitment of time and energy from us. In order to make it part of our lives, it needs real estate on our calendars and ultimately, our souls! Ok, maybe a little dramatic, but it’s true.
This is the time of year where you’re being hammered with a million emails encouraging you to take part in challenges, formulate resolutions and/or words of the year, and jump into all sorts of life-improving programs and/or communities. (Mind you, those are NOT bad things!)
They’re all so enticing! Why? Because the energy of January (AKA “New Year Energy”) is supercharged. It’s primed us for saying all the “yesses” to do things that we know can improve our lives.
And we absolutely should be taking advantage of this energy to get moving forward!
However, Debbie Downer here, if you do not carve out the time, as in literally schedule it on your calendar, it will fizzle out and you’ll be looking at February 1st thinking, “Not again! I failed again.”
Instead, LET’S CREATE THE SPACE!!
Read on for some tips to help you (or at least they’ve helped me!):
- Choose a challenge or a course that really speaks to whom you are ALREADY! Or to whom you feel that you can truly become. If it’s too much of a departure, then the success gap is vast, and will likely overcome your excitement quickly. (And yes, this grammar nerd had to use “whom” correctly…twice!)
- Give it roots in your life using both your calendar and your current habits or activities! You’re heard of task stacking or batching…”right after I have my second cup of coffee, I’ll brush my teeth so I won’t have that 3rd cup,” for example. (#definitelyme)
- This one is paramount: make sure it’s ENJOYABLE! This might be the most important tip. It’s helpful if you actually WANT to do the thing! Hang on, I know you’re thinking, “Well, Ryan, I don’t enjoy “X” but it’s required of me.” Well then figure out somewhere to enjoy the environment in which you must do said required activity. See? You always have control of something. But sometimes you have to look for it!
LET’S DO THIS!!
What have I jumped into this year? Thanks for asking:)
Well, our company’s first ever step challenge AND a 30-day yoga challenge. You know, you can never have just ONE challenge, right?? (#alwaysme)
The step challenge is an easy fit because I own a FitBit and the company created a very easy to follow tracker in SmartSheets WITH DAILY REMINDERS to update it.
The yoga challenge tests me more, because I haven’t done online yoga consistently since, yes, you guessed it, the infamous 2020 quarantine! First of all, I absolutely adore yoga, so we are safe there. But, putting it on my calendar EVERY SINGLE DAY (each daily video is <30 minutes) simply terrifies me! But I’m setting those fears aside to allow me to do one of my very favorite body and soul-nourishing activities, at least for January.
And yesterday was Day 8. And guess what? I’m 8/8 so far.
YAY ME!!! WHO AM I??? Who is this woman who somedays can’t remember the simplest things like “check to make sure the credit cards got paid and didn’t blow up the checking account and/or get late fees”…???
But, I’m doing it. And not only am I DOING it, I am absolutely LOVING it.
PLEASE REPLY AND SHARE!!!
Did you miss the fun last week??!
Come join my free Thursday workshop to help you “Just Log in!!!” and get yourself working those awesome courses, required CEU’s, and generally knock out those energy leaks of digital self-improvement!! We will find the links, save the passwords, and set you up for success!! No more having to binge when a deadline comes (AGAIN!!) because you’re already tackling it.
Won’t that be so nice??? I so want you (and I!) to have more peace.
See you on Thursdays!! Or watch the replay in the CALM Collaborative FB Group. Let’s go!!! Click here to register…free as always. We had a great crowd last week!
Finally, thanks so much for all the birthday wishes last week!!!
