Blog Post

As I was thinking about a new blog post for the start of the year, I wondered about really making 2020 one for positivity, happiness and creating a life we love, day by day, month by month so that we feel emotionally and physically well.

In no particularly order, here are my top 20 tips for making this a year to remember. There’s many more I could add but I think this is a great foundation and starting point. Perhaps choose the ones which might work for you. Or write your own. I’m going to be writing about many of these in much more detail in my monthly blogs this year so please connect if there’s something here for you. I will also be sharing specifics of my own journey so if you’re interested, do follow.

Be mindful.

Start to connect with how you feel and what you are doing. Be aware of activities you enjoy and those you don’t and seek to make positive change accordingly.

Reduce your time online.

This might feel scary. A starting point for this is to reduce having your phone around when you are with other people. Take it off the table, settee or bar. Dare not to have it with you one evening. Delete your most used app from your most used device as a test. Note the connection and engagement as a result.

Read a book.

Choose a genre you wouldn’t usually or go with your favourite author. Find a new word and start to use it. Write a review of the storyline and how you felt about it. Make time for this.

Eat well.

Eat well. Eat better. Ditch the junk. Introduce the pure. Abandon the processed and eat fresh.

Find your purpose.

This is a big one but it’s really about thinking about…what am I alive to do? For some of us it may be too large and frightening a question. For others who can handle it, really start to review ‘WHY’. What talents, energy, focus and skills do you have and how can you use them? And then use them!

Rest up.

Take regular time to unwind. Unplug. No matter how much energy and zest for life we have, we all need that regular down time to enable our body and mind to rest. I build mine into an evening or two and it creates a good balance. Sitting down and stopping. Having no agenda. Just being. Try it.

Be kind.

Kindness makes the world go round. I really believe that. Kindness in our thoughts, our words and our actions. So where to start if you’d like to make this higher priority? Start by being kind to yourself. Yeah! Fall in love with who you are.

Having nice thoughts, treating yourself, accepting who you are. This translates into also saying only nice things to others, refraining from negativity or criticism to actions of kindness- giving people time, a listening ear, empathy together with perhaps a thoughtful message or even a gift. Kindness isn’t all about physical things and in fact is so much more through thought, deed, behaviour, action, care, compassion and giving.

Learn to be calm.

Calm gives us control and having control gives us calm. It works both ways. Like an equation. Build in rest and relaxation, take a step back, learn to cope with anxiety or anger and do the relevant work around this. Calm gives peace and peace gives happiness. Seek help if you’re struggling,

Look to the future rather than the past.

Be aware of events from the past which are destroying moving forward or planning ahead, or are emotionally keeping you stuck. Seek help or support to accept or forgive, yourself or others, to create a new start.

Get moving.

Get active in a way that you enjoy. Find an activity which feels fun and exciting and one which you can embrace fairly regularly. Dancing is mine. How about you?

Make your best effort.

Make your best effort. Always. I think this is pretty powerful. Why do something if it’s not right, or our best? Give your full attention to the task or activity and invest yourself in it. Dress the best you can, spend time and don’t rush.

Practice.

Persevere at what you’re not so good at. Keep going and don’t give up. Schedule time each week or regularly to practice to get better. You’ll feel good about next steps and an increase in your ability and through that, your confidence.

Look after the environment.

Recycle, reduce plastics, feed the wildlife, support an animal sanctuary, fundraise, donate, clear a beach of rubbish. There’s loads of things we can all do, small things which can make a difference. Write your own list. I have mine. It’s a big list!

Learn something new.

Our brain health is improved by learning and that’s a good reason to take in something new. It can be fun, interesting, exciting and more. Find something which floats your boat, inspires you to know more about and start doing it. Explore evening or day classes, self supported online learning, or gain insight from an experienced expert in their field.

Break old unhelpful habits.

You’ll know what they are. Seek help and support to stop them. And then create new helpful and positive ones. Which things do you need to let go of?

Declutter.

Aligning your space with your clear mind is so important for clarity and vision. Again, recycle, give away, ditch or remove. Create openness and ease and your mind and body will thank you for it. Employ an expert to assist if you need a different perspective and letting go is too tough to do alone.

Repair a broken heart.

Yours or someone else’s. Healing is vital. It’s a process and takes time but each step is worth it.

Set yourself a challenge.

Get out your comfort zone and get going. Feel inspired to challenge yourself physically or emotionally. You’ll feel great for doing this. Guaranteed.

Dare to dream.

Dream Believe Succeed Achieve. This is such an important message. Believe that you can succeed. I’m running some mini workshops soon on this very topic so come and join me if you’d like to be learning more and get started. Create a vision and work to it. Feel the excitement.

Follow your heart.

Go with how you feel. Start to connect with yourself. Know what feels right and do it and know what doesn’t and don’t. Trust yourself more to know what’s good for you.

I look forward to hearing what you think and how you get on.