Yes I know a ‘Lessons from 2020’ post may be a little cliche at this time of you but I actually think they fill a logical and useful place. A year end marks a transition; it becomes the perfect point in time to reflect on the year that’s just been and our goals for our future self
I think this process is so important that actually it should extend beyond December 2020. Most of our resolutions and big dreams evaporate in January and I don’t see why they should - we simply forget to connect with them and implement small changes towards them daily Kindle that excitement Step into the enthusiasm of them DAILY and you’ll have a much harder job leaving them at the wayside Looking back also, this year has not been a write off. If your main achievement was surviving - you did good But look carefully Trust the inspiration, the hope, those TINY moments of OH WOW that you’ve had, and are having, and are to come. That’s wherein the beauty of this year lies The magic of the small moments Connection Coming together in the purpose of something greater than us Whilst this year has been an opportunity for many to succumb or roll around in negativity and bad news, now we can stand up and say NOT ME I trust the future holds good things for you. Lesson 1 - Curiosity and compassion In this world of uncertainty, this is a lesson that I’ve had to live into so much more this year What works, and what doesn’t work for me? Some of us have had our daily routines ripped apart and whilst that has left many of us at sea, it gives us the opportunity to ask this question As we piece together an existence that looks a little different, we can see it as an experiment and be curious - and therefore remove judgement if something doesn’t work. We didn’t fail, that just didn’t work for us right now. We can choose to respond with a ‘that’s interesting’ rather than bolting down a hole of self-criticism Holding space for negative emotions - they are allowed to be in your body. You don’t have to push them away, but you don’t have to dive into them and roll around in them either. You don’t have to achieve anything today. You don’t have to be productive. You can do less, and be more. You are allowed to rest Practising this self-compassion is a learning process but it also opens up curiosity and compassion for others, for their behaviours, choices and communication Compassion starts with self-compassion What works and what doesn’t work for you? Lesson 2 - Change is the only certain thing Our bodies Our lives Our jobs Our food Our exercise Our friends Our finances Our situation Our mindset Our grief Our growth And you know what that should spark? HOPE If nothing is fixed, then everything can change. You are never stuck. You, your life or your situation is never lost, irredeemable, on the wrong track, broken, or done Change is crafting the next step for you Lesson 3 - Fear is not as scary as I thought We all live with some sort of fear - fear of loss, fear of the process or fear of the outcome Fear of loss is the pain of losing something. Not wanting to give up chocolate in order to change your nutrition. Losing the security of a 9-5 job. Losing the in-jokes with the friend/partner no longer in your life. Outside of this fear - what did you gain? Fear of the process is that ‘this journey/change is going to be hard and painful’. This is going to take too much effort. I’m not going to enjoy what I have to do in order to achieve this. Outside of this fear - what if you enjoyed this journey way more than you ever thought possible? Fear of the outcome is the pain and expectation of some awful negative consequence. But there’s two ways to see this - 1. The awful outcome is probably not all the awful. Is it going to be earth-shattering, life-ruining, permanently? And 2. Success and failure are only human interpretation. Could you view the potential outcomes differently? But this year we’ve all been through some HARD STUFF Which means you can overcome fear You can work through a challenge You can be persistent You can achieve HARD THINGS You are so much more capable than you think
Lesson 4 - Knowing yourself matters And I don’t mean knowing yourself in the sense of ‘I like asparagus but hate mushrooms’ (I love both by the way) Knowing yourself means knowing your values, your perspective, your biases, your mind, your SOUL - what lights you up, touches your heart and makes you alive? In the silence that 2020 has created, some of us have felt lost without usual distractions What whispered to you in that silence? Did you reconnect with anything that you thought you’d lost, grown out of or didn’t have the time for? What are you going to keep in your life that you discovered during this weird time? Maybe you’ve only just started that journey of self-discovery. Or maybe in order to cope you jumped into some other distraction or numbing activity - and if that’s you, that’s ok You didn’t miss your chance What does truly knowing yourself give you? Confidence Authenticity Deep connection with others Better decision-making More compassionate communication Perspective Permission Freedom
Lesson 5 - Health matters We haven’t been able to take this for granted this year But a mind and body and soul that sings in good health is a GIFT - no matter what that LOOKS like for you So drag it UP the priority list Move Breathe Rest Sweat Lift heavy stuff Dance Sleep Without health, what do we have? It’s ok if you didn’t use 2020 to get in the best shape of your life - but what’s stopping you for 2021? Listen to the excuses that immediately pop into your head - OR DO ITThe Year in Review Lesson 6 - Show up Whether that’s simply getting out of bed, getting your butt to that meeting, going for your daily walk instead of your normal exercise, waving to your family through the window, adding 5 minutes more work to that project… SHOWING UP MATTERS Without showing up, nothing else happens. It doesn’t have to be perfect; you don’t have to be perfect. But it shows you care: For yourself For your dreams For your family For your friends For the larger community For the world For great causes This year we might not have felt like doing a lot of things, but the small acts of showing up count SO MUCH Small changes + consistency = remarkable results Whether you want to strengthen relationships, achieve that big dream, make a difference to that cause, progress in your job, write that book, get fit, start that business - it’s the showing up in small ways that makes ALL the difference
Want to work with me in 2021? You can!
Drop me a line at caroline@theplanharrogate.com and we'll get you started on your 2021 journey.
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