It’s the most wonderful time of the year

Tis the busiest time of the year!

With all the holiday plans and activities going on, my favorite holiday is slowly becoming less exciting.… Well, not really, this is what happens when proper planning is not in place, lesson learned. I will do better next year and stay on top of things, so I can enjoy this season. I hope you can feel the joy and make the most of the celebration. One thing I’ll suggest is to remember to take some time to rest, before we start going all in for 2022

For many years, the last week of December has been a time for me to reflect on things, compare my growth and success, and, most of the time, guilt-trip myself for not achieving some simple goals that I’ve set, until 2020, when I stopped making comparisons between my successes and what I consider failures. Well, we all know how crazy 2020 was. I was just relieved to end a stressful, draining year.

This year, I will continue with the method of just being grateful rather than comparing the things I did versus what didn’t get done. I am MORE than what I have accomplished. My self-worth is not tied to what I can or cannot do.

Don’t get me wrong!

A meaningful reflection can provide the insight you need and help you position yourself for the new year. In the past, I thought I was doing the whole new year new me thing correctly…….but the method I was using was not working for me. I was shaming myself for not meeting my goals. But now, I pat myself on the back for pushing through whatever life throws at me.

I am a great believer in being kind with yourself and looking at the overall picture rather than just your shortcomings when it comes to revisiting your resolutions. You’re the only one who knows everything about yourself. You know, you’re not slacking or procrastinating; and you’re doing your best with what you have.

The other devil ( comparison)

When everyone starts posting their accomplishments on the internet, I hope you take inspiration from it rather than using it to compare your life to others’. The journey of each individual is unique. Yes, not every success story on the Internet will inspire you; choose those that do and keep it moving.

Here are the top three tips to have in mind when reflecting and planning for 2022:

1. Time: Reflection at the end of the year is great, but it is not the only ideal time for you to reflect. Find a time that works for you, even though the end of the year is the norm, when most people review their experiences and planning to conquer the new year starting on a clean slate
2. Blame-game: Beating yourself up for not achieving your goals: How is this going to assist the situation? Instead, put what you’ve learnt so far to good use in order to reach your objectives.
3. Set realistic goals: Having unrealistic ambitions is often the first step toward failure. Your goals may appear simple on paper, but we get stuck when it comes to putting it into practice. So many times, when I want to start a healthy diet, I will often convince myself that I can eat whatever I want for the time being because I’ll be super strict the next day/week/month, no carbs, no sugar. Guess what? Yeah, you are right. When I go about it this way, I always fail, but when I cut at least one thing at a time, I achieve my objectives.

Also, when you are making all these great plans to achieve your goals, improve yourself, etc. Don’t forget to BREATHE, life happens (as it always does), things may not go as plan, from family emergencies, a demanding job, finding time for side hustle, know that the plan is only a guide and you can change things to fit your time, purpose or circumstances.

That’s it, my friend, 2022 is here, and I look forward to the beautiful things that await us.

Let’s make this new year our own, and here’s to a prosperous one!