How To Finish Your Year Strong and Complete
Watch out as it will be 2020 in a about a fortnight!! Everyone I know seems to be taken aback and thinks that somehow this year has run away with them yet again.
During my many coaching calls in the past couple of weeks I’ve been through a similar conversation with some of my new clients that starts off something like this “Can you believe it’s almost Christmas?” “Where has the year gone?”
In his book ‘Atomic Habits”, James Clear explains about “Changes that seem small and unimportant at first will compound into remarkable results if you are willing to stick by them….”
So, to help you avoid feeling as though you’ve ‘done nothing’ or been left feeling “What have I achieved this year?”, here are some simple tasks you can do to finish the year with a healthy mindset and a feeling of achievement:
Have a Tidy Up: Whether you pick one area first – like your office, or do a couple of areas, the end of the year is a perfect time to get rid of not only the physical clutter but what that clutter causes in your own mind and in your life.
How about starting with your desk or your work area. Just start and you’ll be amazed at how after only a short time you’ll actually be enjoying the “new space creation”. Old papers shredded, in tray holding only what you are intending to work on. Put on some music – oh and even though I can’t sing a note – singing along will actually make you feel happy.
Put a Bow on It: Are there people in your life who are conducive or non-conducive in your life, your business? Is this playing on your mind – how am I going to handle the people shift? Who do I keep close; who are not so close anymore?
This is a normal part of life’s cycle, people come into our lives for a reason; generally for us to learn lessons – yes I know that can be hard to acknowledge, but life is all about lessons. People also move out of our lives and it’s our job to learn to let go (with love) and move them on.
In his book “When to Walk Away”, Gary Thomas says “Your life’s calling is too important to let toxic people take it away.”
You don’t need to be unkind, but it’s also time to acknowledge where certain people now fit in (or not) within your business and personal life.
Be Clear About What You Want: Do you have a clearly defined intention of what you want for your business or your life? Is it written down as a plan?
Well now it’s cuppa tea and quiet time. Pick your favourite room, grab your favourite brew, laptop, paper and pen.
Step 1 – What will the coming year look like for you on the 24th December? How will your business look, your home, your relationships. Write it down ! Oh and did I say “write it down”?
Also creating a Vision Board or two; you can create one on business; relationships; travel – whatever it is you desire to be complete in your life.
And don’t stop there – once your vision boards are complete – proudly hang them up so you can see, smell, touch them every day!
Are you a procrastinator?: Procrastination is the killer of your dreams and the thief of time.
Okay bring out that list – you know the list of what you want to achieve or finish. Your mind can sometimes put barriers in the way and have you feel like – oh I’ll do that tomorrow, next week, and of course that ‘time’ never arrives.
This happens because your ‘big why’ and ‘the benefits’ are not big enough or you don’t want them enough. So as you look along your list – pick one – and write down your ‘big why’ and the ‘benefits’ of completing this task. The next step is easy, schedule it and take steps every day to complete it. Now there’s a load off your mind !
Rest and Recuperate: There should be a slot over the Christmas/New Year period where you let your body, your mind and your soul recuperate, rest, have an ahhhhh moment. It’s had a big year, it needs a rest and time to recreate.
Rest, eat healthy food, hydrate, read, listen, relax, meditate, walk…. Sound good? Ahhhh !
New Year’s Resolutions or not?: Taking a well deserved break over the Christmas / New Year period is a fantastic time for your creative juices to start flowing because your body and mind has had some rest.
Now I’m not a big believer in making hard core New Year’s resolutions – most people who do this, never achieve their resolutions. And of course there are some who do.
If you want your New Year’s resolutions to have some sort of a chance of surviving and actually culminating, then go easy on yourself. Make the resolutions achievable – please remember that word – achievable.
How do you do this – take that humungous goal you’ve just set for next year and break it down into chunks – achievable chunks! And remember to throw in there some learning, some things you’d like to experience and of course what you’d like to achieve. But remember “achievable chunks”.
This is a fabulous way to finish of the current year feeling like you’ve achieved something, and setting yourself up for a nice rest and then a bright and successful New Year.
I wish you love, joy and achievement.
Until next time
With Gratitude
Patricia