Happy New Year!
As I type away for my first blog of the New Year, it is now 8th January 2019. I can’t believe a week has passed already!
I try to always jot down a few notes prior to writing a blog post. Being the first of the year, as you’d expect, my notes include words such as “be inspiring, set new goals and resolutions for the year ahead, and be positive” (a.k.a. everything which is part and parcel of becoming the new and improved, “ME” for 2019).
Before the new year rang in, I carried out the expected requirement and thought about my resolutions. They included (not exclusively):
- Blog more consistently
- Play more tennis (at least once a month)
- Find greater work/life/fitness balance
- Start every day grateful and positively
- Cut spending on unnecessary coffee’s or lunches
- Spending more time with family and friends
I wont lie. Reading that list back, I am exhausted just thinking about making sure I get all of that done. And, reflecting, of course I set these up with the best intentions to better myself and have a clear objective of my priorities for the year, but, jeez, I feel as though I have set myself up for failure. We’re one week into the year, and I’m already failing with some of those.
A simple scroll on Instagram, an innocent browse of the newspapers, or even watching TV adverts, is enough to fill anyone with enough dread to make you feel like you’re already failing. The new diet crazes, fitness regimes, work ideas, hobbies you should be trying, to name a few. Not to mention everyone realises how broke they are (being a 6-week month until pay day) so who can afford to start trying out all these shiny new things?!
It is truly no wonder many people are filled with dread, anxiety and stress by 21st January 2019 (nicknamed Blue Monday). So although I sat down today to write and be uplifting, I suppose I am coming at it from a different perspective. I say, we do away with resolutions, and huge goal-setting, Most of the time, it is unrealistic, and is not the way to set out to “live our best lives”. Surely, it’s much better to start with a blank canvas, and paint it however we damn well choose, than to have a canvas filled with templates of what we need to fill in by the end of the year, but which are never completed to the extent we originally intended.
Anyway, as I have said, upon reflection, I have decided to put my resolution list to one side. I know in my heart and my head what it takes for me to be happy and healthy. I do not need a list to tell me how to achieve that. Instead, I shall be making a conscious effort to be present this year. That is to say, I don’t want to worry about what my future self will think or feel in 12 months time, anymore than I fear playing life by ear (within reason).
As a generation which is exponentially growing beyond our comprehension, it is more important than ever to embrace our lives for what they are. I do not mean that we should only make do with what we’ve got and not strive for more. I am simply saying to take each day as it comes, and make greatness our objective for each and every day, without having definitive goals that we need to tick off (or not, as the case may be) at the end of the day. Time really is passing so quickly (I can’t believe that I am due to qualify as a solicitor in just 9 months time). So, I think the best thing to do is to try and look at life as when we were babies. We can only ever walk before we run, so let’s make that the focus of 2019.
Before we know it, we will be back at our desks, phones, diaries, or whatever, setting new goals for 2020. So, I say that we should do away with wasting time worrying about everything we should or could achieve this year, and just focus on the now. I am pretty confident that by not letting the fear, anxiety and stress of planning take over, we will spend more time actually living and making steps towards those things we love, without even being fully conscious of it at the time. Even more important, I reckon we’ll enjoy the journey. And after all, that’s the key isn’t it.
I wish you all a very happy and healthy new year, and hope that it brings much success and enjoyment.
I for one am excited for the prospect of what the year may bring for me.
I’ll be back with more of a life update sometime soon (internally telling myself not to stress about setting a date to do that…)
If you liked this blog or have any comments, good, bad or otherwise, do let me know in the comment box 🙂 Any ideas for future blogs on anything on my site, also, let me know!
As always, Stay Hangry.
~ xoxo the Hangry Lawyer ~
The Hangry Lawyer 