''Books are the training weights of the mind'' - How do you read so much?

Happy New Year to you all! (Happy New Century too!) 

This year has all the right vibes for a fresh start. As with all New Years this one brings promises of new hope, optimism, change, success and fulfilment. I liken a New Year to having a beautiful new notebook with crisp blank pages, a chance to leave the old behind and find opportunity to start our story anew, brining a new chapter or novel where we can set things right. 

My advice is, start the year on a positive note. I like to think about all the accomplishments from the year before , big and small,  count them all. It helps if you’re an avid journaler like me as you can flick through the literal pages of last year and see all the accomplishments, as even in the most difficult and challenging of times there will have been wins. Some really trying days a win could simply be I made it through…. By putting our minds in a state where we can consider the good things we are allowing our brains permission to use what I heard referred to as success accelerants. 

The author Shawn Achor quotes “The closer you perceive your success to be, the faster you move toward it” 

This is one of the best forms of goal setting in my opinion and one of many reasons I like to journal.  It is also why I like to make lists, project manage big and small tasks as every positive forward step in every aspect of my life creates this feeling of success.. If  this type of goal setting is new to you then now is your opportunity to bring this into your life. Grab a journal and start today, write down something you are grateful for, something you have accomplished and something that made you smile. You can look back in the future and remind yourself of these things. Tick off things you have done, doesn’t matter if it’s the big full goal achieved or just another step towards it. 

I like to start everyday in a positive mindset, by having something that makes me feel good right from the beginning. It might be having something exciting or special to get up for, it could be reading a good book, it might be reciting positive affirmations or having time for a good self care regime with breakfast, exercise and meditation. When setting some New Years Resolutions try and approach them as positive goals and give yourself some tools to help them happen. 

So for example if you want to avoid the cakes and Christmas chocolates in the office. Make a goal to take healthy snacks with you and eat them instead. Write it down and allow yourself time to tick it off later when you have accomplished it. Well done to you and happy hormones for the accomplished task.(Those success accelerators). Try to also use positive language, so maybe instead of saying I want to lose weight, say I want to become healthier and stronger.

I use this example as we are very likely to be wanting to make some healthy changes in our lives and it’s a common resolution made. But if you solely focus on the end or outcome your forgetting the journey in between. This is then when we find it hard to maintain a positive outlook on life and keep our resolutions or keep to our goals and it becomes oh so easy to give up, become overwhelmed or stressed. 

When setting goals I like to consider having some tools of support to guide us in achieving these. It might be a a physical new notebook, it could be a reminder in our digital calendars, an alarm clock, a new lunch box for work (for those healthy snacks) , it could be having a friend support our vision, a support group, reading positive affirmations, insights from other sources such as books, podcasts, social media. Whatever you choose make the tool something accessible, meaningful, useful and that serves the purpose of bringing  joy, enthusiasm and courage for the task in hand for you personally. Take what works for you. 

I like to use Flower Essences and do with many clients,  never more so than the beginning of the year, at times of change or when the calling comes to bring a new positive spin on life’s challenges. They can bring emotional support and help maintain those positive vibes long into the year. (My recommendation and the one I will be starting this week with is Blue Hydrengea Flower Essence) 

Remember every end marks a new beginning. Keep your optimism and determination unshaken, have courage as there is always a win, you are on your first blank page today, a fresh start and the year ahead has 12 Months, 52 Weeks, 365 Days, 8,760 Hours, 525,600 Minutes and 31,536,000 Seconds , so make your goals and consider what you are going to do to make each one of these minutes memorable and meaningful to you. 

I wish you a Happy and Prosperous New Year.