As we ring the new year, a fresh new decade begins! We’re at the beginning of a new journey and another trip around the sun. Each new year affords us the privilege to re-evaluate our lives. As you begin planning 2020, aim to start afresh with a more mindful approach to living and savouring life.
We all too often fall into the same rut. We break New Year’s resolutions as quickly as we make them, feel guilty about our failure to complete them and then repeat the cycle of self-criticism.
But what if you could do something different this year to BE more happy, healthy and fulfilled this year? We all have the power to make small changes to better our world. Here are our top five ways you can live a more mindful and fuller life this year - and it starts with small, incremental changes.
We want you to move into this new decade and the ones that follow with purpose and grace. Incorporating planning with gratitude for yourself and those around you, and with a deep appreciation for every step you take towards growth. And it all begins with deciding on what enough looks like for you.
Here’s how your planning in 2020 can be more sustainable so that you can make long-lasting changes with kindness and intention.
Nourish Your Body
Yes, it is important to schedule your sleep like you would anything else that is important to you.
Sleep: Start to value your slumber as much as you value your deadlines. That means no more all-nighters. In the long term, these are simply not sustainable. According to the Center for Disease Control, adults between 18 and 60 years need 7 or more hours of sleep a night. Too little sleep puts you at risk for obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary disease, mental health issues and so much more.
Decide what is ENOUGH
Learn to say enough is enough. Build resilience not through suffering in silence but through learning how to take the reigns. Build a bounce-back routine for when life knocks you or you fail to stick to a new habit. Find the way YOU get up and get going again. (Remember too: NO is a beautiful word that can be so effectively used in so many situations. Try it! It may just suit you.)
Plan ‘ENOUGH’
While you can put measures in place for certain eventualities, you never truly know what is hiding behind the corner. Your job is to plan enough when it comes to the things you can control—and then plan for the unplannable. Make space in your life for the whole spectrum of the unexpected, from devastating disasters to brilliant epiphanies. Plan ‘enough’ so that you know where you’re heading but don’t have to exhaust your internal resources in the planning phase.
Learn more about planning your weeks for the best year yet through this blog post!
Celebrate ENOUGH
Relish in the small victories. You should consider celebrating progress for three basic reasons – focus, momentum, and because it’s fun! According to a Cornell study about motivation and rewards in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: “People who got an earlier bonus [from their employer] were more motivated to pursue the activity for its own sake and even continued with the activity after the reward was removed.” Celebrate, meaningfully and as often as you deserve.
Fall in love with your life so that you can never get enough of it
We created the Ponderlily planner to help bring more joy and mindfulness to your life. From writing prompts to inspirational quotes and room to write down your random thoughts, this writing tool will help you connect with what matters most in your life. Our FREE printable library can also help you build out your best life! From daily habit printables to monthly roadmaps, the library has what you need to keep things in order and to keep yourself on the agenda.
It is my hope that our planner and the resources we have available on the site will inspire you to cultivate more positivity and mindfulness, and prioritize space for meaning in 2020. Every. Day.
Remember, you don't have to do all the things, ok? Just find space for what will make you feel most like yourself again, whether it’s writing, exercising, or meditating or whatever floats your boat that will allow you to best show up in the world.
We only have so many trips around the sun – let’s make the most of it!
