Here we are at the precipice of a new year! Can you believe that 2022 is ending?
December tends to bring about a lot of emotion. People get lost in the frenzy of holiday shopping, hosting, cooking, attending. As the year comes to an end, there are deadlines to meet and more to attend. There are feelings that stir with the passing of time. Memories well up about good times that have passed, and feelings emerge about hard times overcome. The holiday season brings so much to focus on that attention becomes dispersed. Focus is everywhere and yet nowhere at the same time.
Procrastination for the important things begins. “I can’t start (insert more sleep, diet, work out, etc.). It’s the holidays. I’ll start in January.” We say we’ll be motivated to act in January.
The things that require attention are overwhelming; they are like noise that drown out what is important. We know that by making some changes we can have more energy, the ability to better focus, and perhaps the discernment of where to place our focus. Unfortunately, during the holidays, it feels unbearable to add something new. Health and well-being get pushed aside. I’ll sleep when the holidays are over.
The noise gets louder as the month progresses.
Before the year is over, quiet down. Take an hour to yourself and sit alone. No phone, no music, no people. Just you, your thoughts, and a pen and journal. You may find that sitting in silence for an hour may seem louder or more frantic than running around doing all the usual holiday things. It’s not supposed to be relaxing, it might even be uncomfortable. But take the time NOW to reflect where you are in life so, when the motivation of January hits, you know where to spend your energy.
I reviewed my health data on my phone. I noticed I was averaging 6 hours of sleep. Although I feel like I function fine, research shows that averaging 7-8 hours of sleep promotes wellbeing. By increasing sleep, you can reduce serious health problems, reduce stress, improve mood, and get sick less often. By increasing sleep, I can gain energy to help me in other areas of my life.
During your hour of quiet, ask yourself the following questions:
- What is currently working well in my life?
- How have I grown in the past year, five years, 10 years?
- What adjustments can I make to continue my growth?
- What tiny adjustment can I make now to begin my growth?
Write down what you notice about yourself. The growth that has occurred is a reminder that humans are not static beings. You are always capable of growth. When setting a goal for a tiny adjustment, make it so small that it seems almost ridiculously easy not to do it.
For example, I used to be someone who fell asleep with the TV on because I would stay up binging a show. I would wake up tired and sluggish and could never understand morning people. Slowly, I’ve dialed back on technology at night and have acquired better sleeping habits. I still try to make small modifications because I still identify myself as a night owl even though my actions no longer prove that to be true. The tiny adjustment I plan on making is going to bed five minutes earlier. This small adjustment compounds to over two hours a month!
Before the year ends, quiet yourself down. Reduce the external noise and listen to your intuition. Write down what you have done and what you want for yourself. Take the time to reflect upon the past, not with judgment but with the eyes of how far you’ve come. You are constantly growing! Make small adjustments now and January will seem like a breeze!
