Would you say that you’re a goal setter or someone who swears by New Year's resolutions?
Or do you prefer to keep things simple and just turn the page to a new chapter?
Comment below and let me know.
"Alright now, where is that rubber band?
Literally right in front of my face.
Don't you hate when that happens?
Alright, let's do this."
Regardless of your preference, the New Year is something to be excited about.
It's a fresh start and the perfect time to reboot and reconnect to the things you value.
It's also a great opportunity to start focusing more on your health, no pun intended.
In many ways, self-improvement sits at the top of all of our lists in terms of things
we want to do this New Year.
So if you generally want to feel and do better this year, it makes sense to consider your
physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Here are 12 ways to be your best self this New Year and if you want, you may choose to
focus on one of these for the next 12 months.
Number one: Start setting intentions, not resolutions.
I’ve never been a big fan of New Year’s resolutions.
I believe if you’re really motivated to make a change, you wouldn’t feel the need
to wait until January first to start.
This is why I believe setting intentions is a much better approach to being your best
self.
It’s less about the action and more about your attitude.
There’s a psychological difference between the two and I’ve found that I’m much more
motivated to achieve my goal when my intentions are aligned with what I want to do.
For example, I set an intention at the beginning of this year to put out more and higher-quality
content.
And with this intention set at the start of each day, I don’t feel stuck following a
single routine, but rather I have several ways to manifest it.
Number two: Give yourself a chance to change.
If your goal for this new year is to lose weight or be more active, don’t put too
much pressure on yourself to achieve instant success.
The weather may change overnight but you and I, not so much.
So take your time and enjoy the journey.
On average it takes about 60 days to see a significant change in your life and or habits.
So treat each day independent from the last and as long as your intentions are set, and
your actions are consistent—change is sure to follow.
Number three: Start telling empowering stories.
Stories are how we shape the world around us.
They give birth to our perspectives, beliefs, and values.
Take a moment and notice what stories are currently running through your life.
Maybe they’re about your family, your financial situation, or health condition.
One story I used to tell myself a lot last year was that my online business wouldn’t
do well.
And the more I told that story the more I started to believe it.
But it wasn’t until I started to shape a new story that things really began to turn
around for me.
See, the stories we tell define us.
But empowering stories create empowering situations.
So look at one area of your life you’d like to change.
What is the story you tell yourself about this area?
And how can you tell a better, more empowering story?
Number four: Spend time embracing nature.
Not everyone has access to the most breathtaking scenery.
My balcony is currently covered in snow and right behind that is my neighbors' window.
But when I can and when the weather decides to cooperate, one of my favorite things to
do in my downtime—other than working out and running, because sometimes I need a break
from that—is spending time in nature.
Going on random walks, hiking, and hanging out in our hammock are all things that help
me clear my head and reset.
I’ve also had some of my best creative moments during this time as well.
So when I say you have to give this a try, believe me.
Number five: Start embracing your vulnerability.
Allowing yourself to be vulnerable is scary.
Yet, it’s the gateway to growth, change, and connection.
And although it’s the last thing we want to show in ourselves, we have to find the
courage to allow our deepest and most vulnerable parts to be seen.
Because only then will we start to find our true selves, on the path to becoming our best
selves.
And this is something that I’m working on more and more when it comes to creating my
videos.
So when I say “stay true to you” at the end of every video I post, just know that
that message is for me just as much as it is for you.
Number six: Start spending time with the right people.
The people around us have an immense influence over the way we think and act and if we aren’t
careful the wrong people will take hold of our lives and carry us down the wrong path.
It goes without saying that we’re an average of five people we spend the most time with,
so how are the people you spend the most time with?
Do they give you energy or drain you?
Do they reflect who you want to be or hold you back from becoming your best self?
Number seven: Get moving.
Even if you’ve never worked out before it doesn’t mean you have to push yourself to
join a gym or pick up a new sport if that’s not something you’re ready for.
You can still gain from activities like yoga, walking, biking, or swimming.
The intent is to simply get moving.
See, losing weight, getting in shape, or eating healthier are habits of consistency.
Meaning you don’t have to be perfect—you just have to be committed.
Growing up my brother and I were both multi-sport athletes since just about day one.
We played baseball, basketball, football, ran track and I wished I tried soccer but
my dad had a saying—as he always does—that he would share with us anytime we had a rough
practice, game, or track meet.
He would say: If you stick with it, don’t quit it, you’ll get it.
And the opposite is also true.
You’ll get it, if you don’t quit it and stick with it.
I can’t believe I still remember that.
I’m sharing this with you to pass along one of the many life lessons my dad taught
us.
So if you have a goal to become your best self physically—be that to lose weight,
get in shape or eat healthier—then I’m rooting for you.
And I believe that you’ll get it, if you don’t quit it and stick with it.
Number eight: Do something new.
Trying new things can be undoubtedly daunting.
The unfamiliar makes us nervous in a way that’s hard to describe.
I can’t tell you how many times, down through the years, that I’ve chickened out and let
my fear of the unknown keep me trapped in my comfort zone.
But the irony of this that I later learned, is that trying new things is the only way
to break out of your comfort zone and vanquish those fears you feel.
So if you can relate to this, then I challenge you to do something new.
Travel to a city or country you’ve never been to.
Volunteer and give back to your community, or learn a new skill—maybe it’s a language
or other tactics to help you better yourself in some way.
Such as silencing your inner critic.
"We say negative things to ourselves because we feel like we say them first, they won't
hurt as much, as when someone else might say them.
So if we say that we're bad at writing, or we'll never be successful in that area.
It's a way of really protecting ourselves against any criticism or feedback, or it could
be that we're sort of triggered from childhood memories of maybe a teacher saying that we
weren't very good at something.
It's a way of kind of getting there first."
That was a snippet from a Skillshare class my wife and I watched titled: Unlocking Your
Potential: 5 Exercises To Build Creative Confidence by Emma Gannon.
Who is an author and podcaster I enjoy listening to and encourage you to check out as well.
Now if you’re not familiar with Skillshare they're an online learning community with
thousands of aspiring classes for both creative and curious people.
You can learn new things, and new skills from business and life to painting and photography
if that’s your jazz.
So if you’re looking to do something new, consider checking out Skillshare.
And since they're sponsoring today's video, the first 1000 people to use the link in my
description will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare premium.
Number nine: Create substitutes in your routine.
Substituting little habits no matter how small can make you feel more fulfilled and proud
of how you spent your time.
An example of this would be to replace social media with journaling.
If limiting your time on social media is challenging for you, then consider deactivating your account
for a period of time.
This is something my wife does on occasion to help her reset when she feels the need
to.
Personally, I remove the apps that I’m looking to disconnect from, off of my Home Screen
so that they only appear in my App Library.
I also turn off all notifications for them as well—effectively making those apps out
of sight, out of mind.
And every time I get that itch to open Instagram for example, the friction I created for myself
of having to search through the App Library first before I can open the app is enough
to remind me that maybe I should be doing something else with my time instead.
Number ten: Be kind to yourself.
We all know how hard and out of the ordinary these past couple of years have been.
Between the virus and quarantine, and all of the other crazy we’ve witnessed.
2020 and 2021 have put a toll on many people, and their well-being.
So I petition that we call this year the bounce-back year and it starts with you.
Start making time to do something you loved but pushed aside due to the current state
of our society.
If your finances are creating limitations, take the necessary steps to change that.
If your New Year’s resolution is to start putting yourself first and then being kind
to yourself is not too far behind that sentiment.
Number eleven: Adjust your attitude.
Our attitudes play a big role in becoming our best selves.
So try your best to have a different outlook on things and use any setbacks you experience
to improve your skills.
Never hold grudges against yourself, and always act with a purpose as much as possible.
When you do, you’ll start to see an improvement in yourself as well as in how you react to
situations that happen to you and around you on a daily basis.
Number twelve: Start taking 100% responsibility for your life.
Most of us are conditioned to blame something outside of ourselves for the parts of our
life we don’t like.
We blame our parents, bosses, friends, coworkers, spouses, the weather, the economy, our astrological
chart, our lack of money—anyone or anything we can pin the blame on, we do.
If you want to create the life of your dreams, then you are going to have to take 100% responsibility
for your life as well.
It won’t be easy, and it might hurt a bit but it’s worth it.
That means giving up the excuses and sticking to the hard facts.
Only by doing this will you be able to learn, grow, move forward, and get out of those circumstances
you don’t want to be in.
I hope this conversation lit a fire in you that makes you want to start making some changes
in your life, so you can be your best self this new year.
If it did comment below and let me know which part resonated the most with you.
Keep growing, keep learning and always stay true to you.
I’ll see you in the next one.
Peace!