11th January … 11 days since making promises for the year ahead. So how are you getting on?
I always think the 1st of the year is a strange day to make a commitment, it takes a while to get out of holiday mode, the weather is generally awful and it seems to be that we make them because we ought to rather than what we want to.
I prefer to think of this as a time to look back, to see the progress made, the way we have dealt with adversity, and it is not just about what we have done. It’s also about what we have done, it’s not just about being busy and achieving it is also about taking time for being.
I decided not to add to your inbox last week and to make sure that this, and anything else you get from me is something that adds value to your life.
If you have made resolutions, or plan to, ask yourself ‘does this make me happier?’, and also is it something that you want to do for yourself, rather than other people.
I think small changes are good, great big dramatic goals may make a big difference but generally we can’t keep up with them and we end up failing and feeling bad. I don’t want you to feel bad, to have confidence knocked, to question your self-worth but to feel great about making small changes.
When I look back I remembered my health problems, 2 weeks in hospital, several weeks in a wheelchair, slowly regaining my strength and getting back into exercise. I saw one of my specialists this week and he is really pleased that I’ve got on with exercise and my life, it would have been easy to let depression take over.
I’ve made changes, I no longer work most evenings, I’ve got my new interest – dancing, and I’m managing deadlines and consultancy requests. I’ve put on a few pounds, but will shift that over the next 2 months, a pound a week is fine. I also want to stop dwelling about the past, most of you know I don’t get to see my children, I left an abusive relationship and my children were turned against me. But they are still alive and I have nieces and nephews and they now have children.
So I plan to do less, to be more. To create nice moments throughout the year ahead, not just a big event.
If you would find it helpful to review your year you may like to answer these questions. I wrote about this last time and you can access the post and a form that may help via this link.
- What were your biggest achievements from last year?
- What are you most proud of?
- What did you achieve that surprised you?
- What are your smaller achievements?
- What mistakes (if any) did you make? What have you learnt from this? Perhaps there was something that you should have done?
You don’t have to use these headings, indeed when I tried to use them my health challenges seemed to fit into more than one area. I do, however, recommend a focus on looking back as important.
On the blog
You may like to read
https://www.amazingpeople.co.uk/personal-branding-trends-for-2015/ and you can download a very interest leaflet.
https://www.amazingpeople.co.uk/salary-negotiation/ some useful tips on salary negotiation.
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