If you have followed my advice, you will not have written resolutions for the New Year. If the conversations I have had with friends in the last few weeks are any indication, most don't believe that they would carry them out if they actually make them.
I have however, decided to call the year of 2017, "Slim 17." My intention is to slim down my life so that I enjoy it more and get less hung up on things that don't matter or are too complex to manage everyday. There is not a set of resolutions, actions or goals attached to this; just make life simpler by slimming down the chunky bits.
Some examples. I am sure you can relate to at least one of these.
- Get rid of all the little, weedy pot plants and keep just a few that with love and care will grow to be big and beautiful.
- Take the neglected plant out of the second bathroom. You only notice it when it is need of serious resuscitation. A plant is not necessary in a bathroom.
- Don't buy another hat. One 'wear anywhere' hat that you feel comfortable and attractive in is enough.
- Keep your phone charger in one place. There is enough time in your life to allow your phone to charge in private and it will save time looking every time your phone needs charging.
- Declutter. Even one drawer or shelf will give you more space to think.
- Write down the good stuff so that your brain has less time to think about the difficult stuff. Every day, write a good thought or something good that happened on a little piece of paper and put it in a jar. Empty the jar at the end of 2017 and read what a wonderful year it has been.
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- Read one book at a time. Unless you are one of those lucky readers who can keep up with the plot of several books at once.
- Say 'no.' Think about whether or not you are able to do what is asked and then if you are willing before you say 'yes.'
- Take time to enjoy your world. Spend 10 minutes a day looking at the plants, flowers, clouds and moon. There are magnificent sights to be seen every day. This is what the world looks like if you open your eyes.
- Courtesy of Nora's nature walk
- Move! Anything is great. My current exercise is watering the garden.
Thank you Malathar for the dragon.
- Check out other's ideas for 10 Simple Ways to Live Happy, Wild and Free
- Connect with friends in real life rather than clicking an emoji on their Facebook posts. My great friend Di, meets with one friend each month that she doesn't see regularly. I am Miss January and I am really looking forward to catching up with her.
Best wishes for 2017. It can be great. Try something different. Believe in yourself.
I frequently browse the internet for self help ideas. Disappointingly, a lot seem to portray the concept that life is only truly great if you make squillions of dollars, have an enviable buffed body, drive a purring sports car and party a lot. I am none of those things and don't aspire to be that person. There is nothing inherently wrong with it all, but of greater importance to me is how much effort is required to get there and will I feel deliriously happy when I do?. How much will I have to sacrifice and what will it all do to the rest of my life. At the moment, I am doing what I can to stay mentally fit and look after the relationships that I have.
My current pleasures are:
- reading books
- watching television
- baking biscuits
- walking slowly around the shops
- my morning coffee machine coffee at home
- the security to moan to my family knowing that they won't judge and that they are doing all they can to help
- playing plants vs. zombies on my ageing iPad.
I have been following the posts of Robin Sharma for quite a time now but take it all with a grain of salt and feel his teachings are not quite for me for a range of reasons. They are interesting, not long and usually short. His websites and email deliveries are loaded with videos and recordings, usually made in an exotic hotel room.
Sharma, a Canadian is a lawyer who quit his job and self published a book with the help of his mother. He has since self-published, "The Monk who Sold his Ferrari," and others with equally interesting titles. He has become a renowned speaker on leadership and self-mastery and talks about scaling up results, being a light in the world and shifting from victimhood. All of these lead to increasing one's mindset and increasing performance.
Last week I stumbled upon a podcast titled, "Meditations for a World-Class Mentality," one of his personal mastery recordings. Being only 11 minutes long, I decided to listen to it. After listening to it a couple of times, realised that I could apply the principles to my life and view of the world. He describes four principles.
1. Messy is the price of legendary.
All change is hard at first; messy in the middle and beautiful at the end.
Being great is hard work; sacrifices are required when you are ridiculed, use it to develop 'mastery.'
I am not sure what all of that means but it can be applied to my current state. I have a need to maintain my independence and at times that is difficult. Messes mark where I have started something and not finished it because I got too tired; couldn't reach or it hurt too much. It is however, vital that I continue to do as much as I can. It is demoralising to be asking for help with activities that were previously simple and not requiring conscious thought. The beautiful part is the sense of satisfaction when I have done something on my own.
My message: Give it a go. You will never know if you don't.
2. Stay in your lane.
What do I want my life to stand for? Make your way to the top without losing yourself along the way. Clarify what your future vision is.
I am a creative person so I am using it to push me forward through the difficult times. Digging up garden beds is not really on the agenda so I have taken to rejuvenating my pot plants and creating succulent terrariums, which give me great satisfaction. Plants are my thing so it makes sense to stick with them. I have to continue with the things that give me pleasure.
My message: Find something you enjoy doing and explore what you can do with it.
3. Deal in your own craft.
Mastery lives in the details.
Do you always leave home with your clothes freshly pressed and hair clean and tidy? It would be very easy to do the groceries in scruffy clothes and messy hair but I don't. While the effort seems too much some days, it does a lot for my self-respect to put the effort in. I feel better afterwards.
I love photography and pictures. You will always find my blog posts filled with pictures, usually taken by other, but pictures that I like and seem to match the theme. Waterlillies by Claude Monet is a beautiful painting and I feel it makes my post more attractive and meaningful.
My message: Do something every day that boosts your feeling of self-respect.
4. Stay true to you.
Live life on your own terms. Measure life based on your own scorecard.
I continue to strive to do what is important to me. To treat others with cheerful respect.
My message: If it doesn't feel right, think twice about doing it. It may not be for you.
I suggest you listen to Sharma's recording for yourself. I have found it useful and you might too. Here is the link.
Meditations for a World-Class Mentality
Since all this started I have done a lot of baking. Quick recipes that produce tasty results with minimum effort. I enjoy baking and it makes me feel good.
According to this article, published in the Journal of Positive Psychology, "people who frequently take a turn at small, creative projects report feeling more relaxed and happier in their everyday lives." That's me.
Baking is not going to cure my shoulder or magic the fatigue away but it is pleasurable and gives me a sense of accomplishment, no matter how quick the recipe is. For a short time, I concentrate on something else. Something that is fun. I suggest you give it a go and check out my recipes. They are about simple as you can get.
