The thing with time in general, and years in particular, is that you can’t go back. So, for me, the year’s end is a time for a brief reflection and some learning, but, most of all, moving on.
Going back through my monthly reports from 2018, it looks like I had a rough start of the year, at both a personal level and a professional one. Though, things picked up in March, and, overall, it was a good and productive year. I reconnected with people that are important to me, I got some legal paperwork sorted ahead of Brexit, and I produced work that I am proud of.
The main thing that slipped through was my fitness and, with that, my health. I am finding it harder to exercise since we moved to the village: the gym is far away and only accessible by car, and I don’t really enjoy running in the village due to the lack of pavements, the uneven surfaces and the stress of negotiating narrow roads with cars. My glass-half full approach has not been working, as far as this change is concerned, and I really need to find a way of enjoying running in this new location. If you have any suggestions, please share them with me!
Focusing now on the new month and the new year, I am choosing ‘intention’ as my guiding word. The Oxford dictionary defines intention as ‘an aim or plan’, or, more helpfully for me, as the ‘conceptions formed by directing the mind towards an object’. Accordingly, I have identified the key things that I want to achieve this year, and took some actions to direct my mind and to help me achieve them. Some actions are very simple, like deleting the Facebook app from my phone or scheduling a date for blood donation. Others are more elaborate, such as setting up tracking sheets for physical activity, creating a burn chart for the grant application I want to pursue, or adding reminders in my calendar to drink less but better coffee.
What about you? Do you use guiding words or resolutions for the new year? And how do you set yourself up for success?
I wish you a fantastic new month and new year, with many opportunities for growth.
Ana Canhoto 