Hello, and welcome to a slightly different post from me. It's 5 pm on New Year's Eve and I've decided to spend my NYE reflecting and documenting 5 things/lessons I've learnt in 2016. Do I desire to join the sounds of laughter that can be heard from the streets? ...No, I've made a conscious decision to dedicate my NYE to this post, while my salmon cooks in the oven and I sip away on my red wine. What better time to reflect than just before a New Year begins, right!?
2016 has definitely been the most fruitful year for self-discovery, self-progression and learning the concept of self-love! I've had amazing moments but, there have also been times where I've seen better days, which have ultimately prompted me to try to make those days few and far between. I'm happy to share with you ways in which I've made ME a better version and how you can too! I hope you gain some inspiration from this post :)
1) Stop procrastinating
Although I'm a go-getter at the best of times, indecisiveness and procrastination are my biggest downfalls. Being indecisive in simple things such as whether to post that Instagram post or should I book a particular course, is something that would drive me crazy! I made it my mission to overcome procrastination or, at least learn how to control it.
I quickly realised that it was primarily to do with the fact that I wasn't confident in my decision making, which was fuelled by self-doubt. I identified that the only way to overcome procrastination was to refrain from entertaining the uncertainty that comes along with decision making! Therefore, I started making decisions by disregarding any urge to ponder in self-doubt. As the old saying goes 'procrastination is the thief of time' therefore, you have to battle those demons and retrain your mind to be confident with your decisions! It takes discipline but the more you do it, the easier it becomes!
2) Find a hobby you love
I feel like shouting this from the rooftops, as I believe it is super important for encouraging self-improvement! I'll use my situation as an example; I had a full-time job which was pretty demanding and my down time would include going out for drinks on the weekends or treating myself to a TV and duvet day, to unwind. There’s nothing wrong with having some downtime except, over time I felt that I was living for the weekend, which developed into feelings of emptiness and lack of self-worth.
Starting a beauty blog was something I always wanted to do but procrastination and self-doubt were stopping me. I figured that learning how to manage self-doubt would lead me to work on my self-worth and purpose. I came to a point in my life where I needed a new focus and was ready to put in the work. Not only has my blog diminished the feelings of emptiness that I had, but it has also added value to my life. Your hobbies may include painting, cooking or even bird-watching if it makes you feel good then make more time for it...you never know where it may take you :)
3) Be realistic with your expectations
This may seem like a simple analogy though the amount of people I hear complaining that they are not losing weight fast enough or they are not as successful as they would like to be is astounding. Shall I tell you why they’re not reaching their intentions?...because they are not setting realistic goals and planning smart. A lot of us expect to reach our goals overnight and get frustrated and give up if we fail.
I'll explain how I like to plan smart to ensure that I'm doing everything I can to reach my full potential. I recently bought myself a notebook, and like the old fashion way, I write down a daily goal that I want to achieve. The goal may include writing a blog post or booking myself in for a body pump class at the gym. If I fail to achieve that goal then I'll go back to my notebook and write down why I failed and methods I can put in place to plan my time smarter to enable me to achieve them. Setting small, obtainable goals has made them more achievable and also, writing them down in a notebook has given me a sense of order.
You also have to put in the work, don't expect to be successful if you’re not setting goals and pushing yourself to your full potential. Success doesn't happen overnight so patience is another thing you need to keep in mind when setting your goals, especially when setting long-term goals such as weight loss. Remember to plan smart, reevaluate failure, work hard and most importantly, have patience :)
4) Happiness comes from within
You've probably heard this saying floating around quite a lot and it’s one you may see on many self-improvement or relationship advice forums but as cliché, as it may sound, I believe that it is 100% true. The only person that can make you feel fulfilled is YOU! You should never rely on anyone else to add value to your life or make you feel whole. Therefore, you need to ensure that you feel content and whole by investing in yourself above anything else.
As I’ve chosen to live on my own, one of the things I've learnt this year is to get to a place where I'm content with my own company. It hasn't been an easy journey and one that I had to do a lot of self-evaluating for, but once you start exploring yourself and making changes, you begin to feel a sense of empowerment and worth. This is why I feel it's imperative to spend more time doing more of what you love and also set small, obtainable goals. Starting my blog has brought happiness and added purpose to my life, as it's something that I LOVE doing. I plan to continue to self-evaluate this year to reach my full potential, and so can you!
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| Take time to reflect |
5) Exercise more
This seems to be a popular New Year’s resolution that’s made by many, but normally for the wrong reasons. Exercise shouldn't solely be used to improve your physical form but to also improve your mental wellbeing. Studies show that exercise reduces stress and is a form of natural antidepressant, as your body releases endorphins, which provide a positive feeling and help decrease stress.
Recently, I joined a gym as I not only wanted to get physically strong, but I also desired to feel mentally strong too. The feeling I get after I complete a body pump class is one that I constantly want to chase. Yoga and meditation classes are also particularly helpful for fighting stress and anxiety, which Is why I try to attend at least once a week. Where I feel going to the gym and attending classes works for me, you don't particularly need this if it's not your scene. Taking a brisk 30-minute walk is just as good for your wellbeing too! Also remember to take a moment to breathe if you're feeling overwhelmed, as that also does great things for your psyche.
In fact, you could try it now! …Take 60 seconds to gently breathe in and out, while reflecting on what you've just read. Perhaps, write down three things you’ve taken from this post and how you would like to incorporate it into your life this year! I hope you all had an amazing NYE and are feeling inspired and motivated to reach your full potential in 2017! Remember Shia LaBeouf’s, now infamous, words 'Just do it!'.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this post, it was definitely worth staying in on NYE for :) I would love to know what lessons you've learnt in 2016 and what are your New Year’s resolutions?
Lots of Love Elle N xx
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