By: Taffy Hawkins, PsyD., Sport and Performance Psychology
Spring is a great time to set the stage for your best life. This is 2020, baby! There is no better time than right now to let go of what is no longer serving you and move forward in a way that feels healthy, comfortable and fun. Your environment, consumption and mindset have such a profound effect on how satisfied you are with your life. With further ado, let’s get started.
- Your environment- When you think spring cleaning, you may automatically look to your closets or garage for ways to let go of some of the things of the past. Those are great ideas and I am totally with you. But, what about those toxic friends on your social media? What about the negative behaviors in your daily routine? Look for ways to purge things that no longer serve you that are not necessarily “things”. Make a list of the things in your environment that stress you out and make major moves in the next month to change those things that are stressors. Your environment is a reflection of what is going on in your head. So, we move on to “mindset” in the next step.
- Mindset- “What got you here won’t get you there” is a quote by Marshall Goldsmith who has a book bearing the same name. New years offer the chance to start fresh which is amazing. Getting your head right will help you to experience your life in ways that may not have been possible in the past. I always ask, “how do you want to feel?” Meditate on the idea for 10 minutes every morning. Knowing what you want is imperative when cultivating a life that you love. Be specific! This enables you to craft a visualization of your ideal life. When you can see it and focus on what you want, it leaves less time to focus on what you do not want which may manifest as negative self-talk or an overall pessimistic attitude about what is possible. When those feelings creep in, remind yourself of your vision and the strides that you have made in making it a reality.
- Your consumption – This is not preaching on food or the necessity of counting calories. This is your gentle reminder to show yourself some love. If you cared for yourself the way that you do for your dearest loved one, how might you behave? We want our people to have the best. You are the main character in your story so please treat her well! Consumption also includes the things that you watch and the dialogue that you engage in on a daily basis. If you only watch the news, you can become quickly overwhelmed and feel negative about the world in general. There are bad things in the world but also beautiful, amazing things as well. The media just tends to focus on the negative so please keep that in mind. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to overwhelm yourself with positivity! Whether it be an inspiring podcast, a few pages of an uplifting book, or even those “try not to laugh” style YouTube videos, find some way to sneak in the good before you can be submerged in the negative. That means do this first thing in the morning.
- Be a “goal-getter”- It is hard to get somewhere when you don’t know where somewhere might be! Just like setting your GPS or following Google maps, you need a destination. A good formula to follow is to make your goals S.M.A.R.T.
S-specific. Make your goals specific to you! M- measurable. You should be able to measure your goals in numbers or by some other standard. A- attainable. It should challenge you and make you grow personally but not be impossible in the time limit. R- realistic. Is the goal that you have set for yourself realistic? No one knows you better than yourself what you are really capable of, though I’ll bet that it is more than you might think. T-timely. Put a deadline on the goal that feels exciting but challenges you to stay on task.
- Accountability- You need people in your corner who will hold you up when things get hard in this process. They remind you of why you started in the first place and help to keep you motivated. Who is in your corner?
Monitoring and modifying these aspects can make a huge difference in preparing you to be your best this year and beyond. Many wish to make huge strides in 2020 but have no idea where to start. Start with your environment. If you want to try to cook a big meal, it is better to start with a clean kitchen stocked with the necessary ingredients. You get rid of any wrappings to ensure that you have enough counter space. What is no longer serving you at this stage needs to go. Behaviors that have become negative habits need to be revised to help you achieve your big, beautiful goals. I recommend that you give yourself a month or so of one changed behavior before you try to change another. Going too fast can set you up to fail.
Next, get yourself in a great headspace through meditation, visualization, and positive self-talk to best prepare your mind and body for the task ahead. Monitor your consumption to rid your life of some of the negative behaviors that are weighing you down. Challenge yourself to try something positive like listening to a motivating podcast while out for a walk or, if you’re like me, a YouTube video when I am soaking in the bath. It really helps. Set some audacious goals for yourself that feel a little bit scary but will be totally appropriate for an amazing woman like you. And finally, surround yourself with other great women who will walk through this process with you arm in arm. A new year offers the possibility for making your wildest dreams a reality. You can do this! Best wishes for living your best life in 2020.