What a gift, time to decompress. Honestly, this year, I just need to gain back some of the calm and composure lost during the year. I’m so grateful for having the next week to collect myself, put things in their perspective and begin the new year with a fresh outlook.
Sometimes you have to take a break and breathe before you can keep moving forward. – Kayla Panchisin
Are you like me? You know you’re just not looking at things the right way. What is insignificant at other times, just seems daunting now. Well, downtime is needed, that vital “me” time.
I feel I’ve been tied to my schedule, the cell phone and my Fitbit without a break. So this week, I’m changing my routines. I have no schedule, my Fitbit broke, a miracle in disguise, and I’m leaving my phone in a different room. This will alleviate some self-manufactured pressure I’ve placed on my shoulders.
I’ve replaced my calendar with walks, letter writing, books, Legos and even a couple of naps. A dream come true. The simplicity of days like this are nurturing. What else do I need to do? I need to reflect; look at what I’ve been doing, decide on what’s important and adjust accordingly.
Self-Reflection
There are various self-reflection benefits, including but not limited to, improved self-awareness, reduced anxiety, increased self-confidence and improved relationships through more connected communications. Learning about ourselves opens the door for increased happiness. That seems pretty dreamy to me.
This isn’t new to me, I’m introspective. I like to understand my feelings, I need to understand what I really want, so I can move in the right direction toward that goal. I certainly know a week of self-reflection isn’t going to change where I stand today. The self-reflection I’m doing this week begins my routine, my starting point for the new year. This realignment or starting point makes me feel good.
Vision Board
I’m also refreshing my vision board from last year. There’s no need to create a new vision board. I just need to add another smaller board, an addendum to the vision board I’m using today. My period of transition and growth started a while ago. I’ve undertaken certain changes and embarked on a journey. The progress I’ve made, I’m proud of and the more intense, complicated changes I want to continue making will take a little longer. That’s okay though, my path is leading me in the right direction.
Funny, I think having my vision board has been great, but in a way, just like the Fitbit, the cell phone and the schedule, I’ve been so glued to my tools that emotionally, I’ve not allowed my thoughts to be free to wander, to deviate from the structure or let loose of the quest to achieve my goals. I didn’t give my conscious mind the time to forget the goals and just live without these overarching goals.
Instead of seeing the positive steps toward the goals and recognizing my successes on a daily basis, I looked at my vision board and saw unfinished business, progress not made. I turned the positive of the vision board into a negative.
Stretching his hand up to reach the stars, too often man forgets the flowers at his feet. – Jeremy Bentham
Why’d I do this? Along the way, my negativity seeped through (you’re not where you want to be) and blocked out my ability to see so much positive progress. I twisted my thinking. Now taking the time to see where I was and where I am, I see this mistake. So now it’s time to fix the error.
I want to continue with my my addendum; I want to add to my vision board, maybe refine some goals. With growth comes gained insights and further change. I’m evolving and that’s a good thing.
Right now, I’m feeling good. I’m content in my own shoes. I started out learning about myself and that was and is the positive side of the exercise. Now as I move forward, I will remain excited about the daily journey. I will bask in the successes and the small strides because in the scheme of things, putting those small wins together, amounts to a major change.
I think internally we are sometimes quite harsh with ourselves. We must learn how to be kind to ourselves, listen to our messages from within.
Who I was and who I am are all part of who I will become. In 2021, I will forge a better version of me. It is my desire to leave negativity and doubts behind me and face the new year with a positive energy.
In these last days of 2020, give yourself a gift: time to reflect, adjust and rejuvenate.
Life is about accepting the challenges along the way, choosing to keep moving forward, and savoring the journey. – Roy T. Bennett
Additional Reading
Top 11 Benefits of Self-Awareness According to Science (positivepsychology.com)
How a vision board can help in a pandemic – The Washington Post
Vision Board 101: How To Make A Vision Board Manifestation Tool (chopra.com)
The Reason Vision Boards Work and How to Make One | HuffPost Life
The Truth About Vision Boards ~ Do they actually work? (thepositivemom.com)