I think having land and not ruining it is the most beautiful art that anybody could ever want. (A. Warhol) // Trees emit phytonicides (organic compounds proven to awaken your senses). The simple method of being calm and quiet amongst the trees, observing nature around you while breathing deeply can alleviate stress, improve sleep & vitality. Reminder to myself: The goal is to fully immerse yourself in the present moment, and to relax and let go of any stress or distractions. It is not exercise, or hiking, or jogging. It is simply being in nature, connecting with it through our senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch.
I have a few priorities and activities in the next few weeks so I’m not yet cramming in trying to create a vision board or create a word of the year. (And hey if you are, that’s cool too – read more about My Vision Board process here)But true to myself and my interest of the art of leisure and mental fitness, I wanted to share a few ways we can all out perform our 2023 selves!
Of course these techniques are not reserved for Jan 1, you can do them any time so I wanted to share as they are very useful.
Develop these Mindsets:
If 1000 people win, I AM ONE OF THEM.
If 100 people WIN, I AM ONE OF THEM.
If 10 people WIN, I AM ONE OF THEM.
If 1 person WINS, I AM THAT ONE.
If NOBODY wins, I DIED TRYING.
Develop New Healthy Habits:
It’s very important to have productive habits because they will turn into routines. Motivation can fade, and that is when discipline prevails.
Here are example of healthy habits:
write specific goals down for the following day before bed.
Journal & evaluate your day before bed.
Sleep early or get a good night’s sleep.
You are aware of your bad habits, change to the opposite.
Get 1% Better Daily:
This is MY FAV technique! Prioritize incremental progress over perfection. Don’t get lured into the fantasy or “fast result”
Knowing this will keep you consistent.
Some high valued 1% skills include:
Read for 10 pages daily
Learn for skill a least 10 min a day
Meditate for 5 minutes
Exercise for 1 hour
Create art daily (photography, doodling counts)
Reflect on your day
Practice gratitude
Prioritize Physical & Mental Health:
Add activities that makes you feel good physically and mentally to your routine.
Get some outdoor time daily
Journal everyday
Eat clean & drink 2-3L of water
Go on solo & friendship dates
Hang out with family/loved ones.
Read a self-dev article
Use diffusers or scented candles in your home
Clean your space (do a quick tidy)
Diversify your income streams:
Making money and more specifically women making more money is good for society and thr planet. In 2024 consider upskilling, changing jobs, seeking high-paying clients or even a side project that your are passionate about. Start small but stay consistent. Not only will there be a dollar amount change but also you’ll be developing your always learning attitude.
As we round off the year, I like to share tid bits of wisdom that I’ve gained or read. And I think it’s really important that we show up for yourselves. Sometimes we have to be our own hype person, our own hand to high hive or shoulder to cry on. The list below are some of my tried and true methods to showing up for yourself.
*all pictures are my own* do not use without explicit and written consent.
Commit to routines that are good for your well being – be disciplined to do them enough even when you don’t want to.
Practice self awareness – listening to your needs and course correcting when you aren’t aligning to your ultimate goals
Give yourself grace – we don’t need to be perfect, it’s okay to fumble, take the rest you need, what matters is getting quickly getting back to your routines.
Take care of your daily human needs: stay hydrated, eat healthy, get enough sleep, get sunshine and practice moderate activity
Be curious – take every opportunity to learn and stretch yourself
Make yourself a priority – show up for yourself, take care of yourself and be proud of your accomplishments
Always have a grateful heart – it gives you perspective
One thing about me, is if I can share my wisdom I will. I do a lot of mentoring in my corporate girlie life. And I also look for opportunities to be mentored. I’ve had a few great mentors over the years who have guided, protected and propelled me – so I really feel passionate about giving back.
Sometimes, those mentors are in my company, in my personal life or even virtual.
So consider me your virtual mentor! I hope these tips can help you exude more confidence in your job, career, big dreams and beyond.
Don’t take personalities or communication styles personally I find that as adults making friends is a hit or miss. There is such a mix of characters and preferred ways of interacting that we can be friendly with some and frenemies with others. The same applies in the workplace. There is also a mix of personalities and communication styles (cultures and genders can add to the bag). Remind yourself that when people are being direct, it is not personal.
Stop putting others on a pedestals If you think other people around are better or smarter than you, because of a certain job title, project they are on or experience – they probably arent. And you can prevent the feeling of under confidence by not assuming people are better than you purely based on what you see. Remember everyone is going through something, even if you can’t see it.
Assume you are doing well (unless you are told otherwise) Managers have a responsibility to have transparent conversations with their employees about work activities and performance. So unless you are being told otherwise, assume everything is going well!
Remind yourself its not that serious Perspective is important. Remember if it won’t matter in 5 years, don’t spend 5 seconds thinking about it. Zoom out and get a higher point of view. Put in an honest effort, but don’t lose sleep or miss your breaks/PTO because of it.
Reframe your negative thoughts into positive ones We often think the worse in every situation. It actually takes more effort and energy to negative than positively. If you feel like you are asking too many questions, remind yourself that you want to have clarity. But also if you get feedback that at first stings, take it as an opportunity to improve.
