However, not wanting to appear a Grinch, watching the Sydney fireworks at midnight a few weeks ago I started to think about purpose and about using the new year as a clean sheet of paper to re-focus and re-prioritise my energy.
I’ve started to be very deliberate with my time and to ensure that I feel each day is valuable.
1) Get a plan..and if you have one…review it regularly: Developing a plan forces you to think through what you want to accomplish over the course of the next year…the next 5 years…your life, you decide how long you are comfortable setting a plan for. It should be agile to allow for those “road bumps” that you cant foresee. Don’t be afraid to set specific goals to ensure you set yourself up for success as by being as clear as possible, you will start to understand what is really important to you.
2) Shake things up: Take scheduled breaks from your daily routines both at work and at home. This might be something really simple like taking a walk at lunchtime rather than sitting at your desk eating lunch or running outside rather than on a treadmill – it might mean a face to face conversation rather than a phone conversation. By changing things up, much like mixing up your exercises, you’ll see results in your mental well being.
3) Budget your time like you would your money: Consider your time as valuable as money. You’d see a financial planner if you wanted to look at investing or saving and make a plan, think about the hours in the day and budget time. Understand where you are currently “spending” and where you would like to “spend” and make a plan. For example, could you cut those 2 hours that you spend in front of the TV each evening and use them to work toward something you’ve been wanting to but haven’t yet gotten around to?
4) Put boundaries in place and communicate these: You are the only one that can set boundaries for yourself and it is really important to communicate these – perhaps you are changing your hours of work or having been exhausted by house guests you are setting a maximum stay period…boundaries should be seen as a positive and helps to set healthy expectations.
5) Have a dependable support network: Surround yourself with people who fill your energise you – people that are a positive influence on your life and that inspire you to stay focused on what’s really important to you. and provide the moral support you need to keep your priorities straight. Invest in these relationships.
And finally…keep in the back of your mind that you are a human being that will have days when you run on a lot of energy and days when your energy is low. Occasionally you will feel completely drained and it is important to know yourself and what it takes to refuel. Take the new year as an opportunity to to maintain a life of full engagement in most of what you do – there will always be bills to pay, housework to do and groceries to shop for but more you do that fits into your life plan….the more you will feel that you are living the life that you want to.
….start making those lists now.
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