We are at the time of the year when people are thinking about next year and likely making resolutions they probably won’t keep. Good for you for thinking about the future. I want to start a different conversation. I want to talk about how to rest and prepare to access a more powerful 2023.
Here is what inspired this topic:
I wanted to create a nighttime routine to assist me in getting a better night’s sleep. One step of my routine is called my ‘power down hour’. During this hour prior to going to bed, I disconnect from all distracting external stimulus (phone, television, etc.). Instead, I focus on slowing myself down so that I can fall asleep and stay asleep. Once, in the early days of testing this routine, I fell asleep while trying to meditate (which is another part of my nightly routine).
That sleep was the quietest and stillest experience I can remember in the beginning of that process. It prompted the thought: “how can I create more moments of stillness?”
Where can I carve out these moments where no one else needs me? Moments to just reflect and rest and be there for myself?
You may not be working on a nightly routine or even care about such things, but you might be able to relate to feeling frazzled. You might feel like you need to really perform hard to get more results before the year ends.
Well, I am here to tell you there are a few things you can do, instead.
Create Deliberate Quiet Time for Yourself
The first practice you can do is to create some deliberate quiet time just for yourself.
Before, when my battery was really low, I would just keep going and going and going. I did not have time to take stock of what would recharge my battery. I kept going until I was so depleted that I crashed.
It is important to get clear on where you are depleted, how you are depleted, and what could recharge and rejuvenate you.
Going into the new year healthy is just as important – or more important – as going into the new year productive.
Reflect on the Past Year
As you take this time to be present with yourself, you can also look at your end-of-year rituals.
Are you already thinking about how you want to make more money in 2023? Or make better decisions next year? Are you setting some resolutions for the year ahead?
Before you do that, make space at the end of this year to take inventory of where you are, how you got there, and what accomplishments you must celebrate.
With the breakneck pace of the holidays, we need to intentionally put in these rituals, so we have time to honor them before greeting the new year.
Celebrate the Past Year
As mentioned, make sure you take ample time to fully celebrate what you have accomplished this year.
It is valuable to acknowledge all that we have been through and the stamina needed to make it this far. Even if you are fortunate enough not to have life-altering tragedies, we have all had our own mini tragedies that are happening in our lives at any given moment.
Here are some things you can acknowledge about yourself from the past year:
- How did your decision-making grow and improve?
- How has your emotional intelligence grown?
- How did you flex your voice in a new way?
- What relationships are you proud of?
- How have you grown from January 1st to this point?
- How did your personal agency grow?
This is important, especially for the perfectionists and overachievers out there. We need to take a moment to acknowledge how far we have come.
Why?
It gives us a break from the default messaging, which is “what do I need to fix next year?” and “what needs to be more?” and “what needs to be better?”
In other words, if we start the year from a place of celebration, we get to be in a state of “and this is what is next!” and “here is what I want to add to my life!” instead of focusing on what went wrong or what needs to be fixed.
I hope these three practices resonate with you and that you take some time to put them into place before the year ends.
If you would like help creating the space for your success, consider scheduling a Discovery Call with me.