Happy New Year! What better way to start the year than to draft a fresh blog post? It's been months since my last post and until now, I'm still undecided about the direction I want to take with this new blog. While I figure that out, I won't miss the chance to share my newly found motivation to post last year's reflections and my resolutions for this year.
To be honest I had a love-hate relationship with 2022. Not to sound ungrateful but it was not a great year for me. I was hurriedly looking forward to closing that chapter of my life. Despite feeling stagnant, there were some amazing opportunities along the way too. No matter how many bad things had happened, I surprisingly remained positive.
Last December, I spent time reflecting on things and assessing myself. During my 38th birthday, I realize I'm not maximizing my time in this world. I felt that sudden thirst to make a difference and become a better version of myself. Admittedly, I'm not the type to make resolutions because I know I have problems sticking to them in the long run; but living a meaningless life scares me more.
After reading a chapter of Atomic Habits by James Clear, I figured that maybe the reason why my resolutions don't stick is that I focus too much on the result rather than mentally condition myself to believe that I could be someone better.
For this year, instead of making resolutions like I want to lose10 kilograms or I want to earn a certain amount of money, I'll be conditioning my mind to think that I'm already a healthy, independent, successful woman.
With a renewed mindset, I plan to align my process and actions based on what a healthy, successful woman would do. This year, I'm claiming to be more responsible and be more in control of my life.
Read more books
Using the Pomodoro technique, I plan to dedicate 30 minutes every day reading a book. For the past couple of days, I've been reading one chapter a day before going to bed. I find nighttime reading to be relaxing and it helps me slow down before turning in.
Planning and journaling
I used to journal consistently around 2021 then I decided to stop last year. I miss the feeling of organizing my schedule and to-do list every day so I started to journal again. Planning my schedule ahead of time makes me feel more in control of my life. I get to track the things that I did and did not do and prioritize my activities.
My new journal has different functions aside from listing down my things to do. It has trackers to help me monitor my water intake, my daily reading and meditation, my workout, and more. It also has sections for taking note of my goals, my achievements, and my learnings for the week.
Hone my skills and develop new ones
I've always been enthusiastic about developing new skills. This year, I plan to attend (more) free and paid classes about personal development, business management, social media, and learning different art styles; there are so many sites offering free online classes and subscription classes, and I can't wait to explore them all.
So far, I've been learning a lot from my subscription with Skillshare. From learning the basics of Photoshop to learning different art styles on Procreate, Skillshare is one of my go-to apps. Masterclass is another app that I go to for inspiration. I remember subscribing to Sara Blakely's class on self-made entrepreneurship on Masterclass. It was an inspirational class that I go back to whenever I need a little boost of motivation in handling my business ventures.
Tone down the lazy button
I'm never the type to seize the day. I've always been the go-with-the-flow, will-try-to-do-it-later kind of person. With too much everyday practice, I have mastered the art of procrastination. I always postpone any interaction-based activities or work. I think it's the introvert in me. If I can avoid talking or mingling with another human being, I would.
One of the characteristics of a successful person is that they are not afraid to seize the day. They don't wait for things to happen because they initiate things to happen. Once they put their mind onto something, they don't wait a day to execute it. I'm trying to manifest a leader type of personality who is never afraid to seize every opportunity.
Slow but steady progress
With my self-improvement plans laid out, I don't want to stretch myself too thinly. Aside from these plans, I still have other important things to do and important roles to act on. Overwhelming myself with too many things won't do me any good. I've read about creating habits slowly and in tiny steps, and I like to try that. The goal is not to rush my achievements but to be consistent with my progress into becoming the person I want to be.
Take care of my physical health
I have been neglecting my health for so long that I feel guilty whenever I look at myself in the mirror. This year, one of my priorities is to get myself into shape. As a healthy, successful woman, I have to consistently monitor what I put inside my body. I need to be in good shape to keep up with the demands of work and side hustle.
This week, I started with little changes in my physical activities and food intake. A quick 30-minute workout (which I intend to do 3 times a week), and a cut down on my sugar intake was just the beginning. I'll be incorporating more changes in the coming months. Again, the goal is to do things slowly but surely.
Aside from physical health, I've been religiously doing my skin care everyday. Ever since my acne breakout destroyed my self confidence three years ago, I've been spending a lot of money, time, and effort taking care of my skin. Thankfully, I have found the suitable skin care for me and I've been loving my skin now compared before. I'm no longer self-conscious that people will stare at my face because of my breakout.
Prioritizing my mental health
For two years, I've been a slave to anxiety, negativity, and insecurity. This year, I have vowed to change my mindset and protect my mental health. I know it's not an easy feat but I need to start somewhere if I want to improve my mental health. For starters, no more saying yes to everything especially when I know that it's not going to be good for me.
One of the most difficult things for me to change is overthinking. I've been overthinking all my life and it's a habit that I really want to change. Learning to accept mistakes and not being afraid to fail, not obsessing about what other people think about me, and be overly critical of what I do are just some of the things I hope to correct about myself. Another priority is to avoid harboring negative thoughts.
I know there are more good habits I need to cultivate and I can always add them up as I go along. I hope to be more active and to post blogs more frequently. Have you thought about your goals and resolutions for this year?
Let's smash our goals this 2023!
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