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As you most likely already know, I’m a great believer in a holistic approach to life and business and it’s the season for gym membership buying, new diets starting and a whole heap of other resolutions to get more healthy and fit.
No doubt you’ve heard someone say ‘I’m going to stick to it this year’… perhaps you’ve said those immortal words yourself before? Did you stick to it? Did you make a real lifestyle change?
I know I’ve done it many, many times and usually fallen back into the same habits after a few months. 2014 however was different for me. You see, my daughter turned 14 and I had a moment of realisation that she was not going to be my little girl for much longer. That strange time when you’re both proud that your child is becoming a confident, independent young woman and loving it and yet at the same time mourning the loss of your dependant little girl. Very strange set of mixed emotions.
It made me look back over the past 14 years and I felt both proud of some of the stuff we had done together but also sad for the things that I always thought or said I wanted to do but have literally missed the boat for. Looking at it in the cold hard light of day and knowing there are things I really wanted to do, that every year I said we would do and yet I never have actually done and now it is too late! There is no going back, there is only going forward and there is only myself to blame for not taking action and J.F.Doing it! Don’t get me wrong, this was not a time of wallowing in self pity but more the kick I needed to make sure in 14 years I’m not looking back and thinking the same things!
So, 2014 was my year of no excuses, my year of trying new things and of pushing myself out of my comfort zone and I did step up to the plate. Here are a few things I did differently:
+ I joined the gym on the 2nd January and I went every week to between 1 and 8 classes or gym sessions… and I loved it! I felt so much fitter, more vibrant and more energised. I love the feeling of being physically fit and how it opens up the mind to wanting to move more and try more things. I tried lots of classes and found myself looking forward to the weeks classes I had booked in. This was a whole new mental experience for me!
+ I lost just over a stone of the 2.5 stone I want to lose and joined in a Slimathon where I raised money for charity and lost weight – win/win!
+ I started rock climbing after a holiday in Derbyshire where we did some with friends. They use our local bouldering centre and I tagged along, then did a in introductory course and my daughter and I visited regularly. I really pushed myself out of my comfort zone with it. I had no idea it would be such an interesting activity. It both challenges your mind and your body and I recommend it highly, no matter what your fitness levels or confidence it’s a fantastic way to push yourself and feel a massive sense of achievement, increase your fitness, strength and stamina, as well as get a huge adrenaline rush and is great fun!
+ I hired a personal trainer to help me ensure my time working out was spent doing things that would make a real difference… and it worked!
+ I joined in #Movember and our Team Stardust {Link to www.teamstardust.com} raised over £8200 for mens’ health.
+ I regularly juiced and tried lots of fab raw recipes as well. I also visited my magical chiropractor who is also a cranial chiropractor, kinesiologist and nutritionist and we’ve been working on making me healthier inside and out with supplements and treatments – it’s been quite remarkable the changes.
+ I’ve done more public speaking than I ever have before, including speaking in front of 300 people at a Social Media event in Norwich.
+ I’ve set up online courses and business automation for my business from scratch and have experienced the joy of selling digital products, which in turn helped me find the time to fit in the other things I wanted to do, like the gym.
+ I had a regular routine of rising early and finishing work at 5pm every day and spending the evening with my family. Something I view as being a very important part of life. It’s very important to make time for family.
It was all going so incredibly well, until my father passed away at the end of October, at which point my world fell apart for a while but this is a new year and it’s time to step up and step forward.
I find myself, yet again, starting the year with a big set of goals that I want to achieve in the months ahead that will continue the good work I did last year and help me on my journey to creating mindset and lifestyle shifts to get me where I want to be both in mind, body and spirit.
So, let’s do a success roll call:
- What have you done over the past year that you’re super proud of?
- What resolutions, intentions or goals did you set yourself and achieve?
- What can you do now that you couldn’t do a year ago?
- What do you know now that you didn’t know a year ago?
Actually write these down and give yourself a well deserved pat on the back!
Now let’s look at what you want to do this year? Perhaps, like me, you are working towards creating a way of thinking and living that means you never have to diet again and the idea of a crash course exercise routine is irrelevant: because this will all be part of who you are.
- What do you still need to work on this year?
- What do you need help with to get you where you want to be?
- Where can you find that help?
- What is your first step?
I’d also like you to stop for a moment and consider, if you could have ONE thing happen for you this year, one seriously brilliant thing, what would it be?
Write these down:
- One mind thing I would like to happen this year is:
- One body thing I would like to happen this year is:
- One business thing I would like to happen this year is:
Below are just a few ideas to get your brain juices flowing:
Mind: Incorporating meditation into your day, reading a book a week or month, visiting a museum or place of interest every month, joining a debating group, speaking at an event, learning a new language, craft or skill…
Body: Exercising for 30 mins or more 5 days a week, eating more nutritionally rich foods, trying a new exercise or activity that gets your body moving; maybe sailing, climbing, gardening, swimming, horse riding – something a little different to the norm that feeds your senses as well as your muscles.
Business: Learn a new skill set that helps you grow your business, perhaps marketing, branding, automation or something else. Build a team of in house and/or outsourced staff to help you manage your workload and achieve more. Look for new ways you can innovate within your business sector.
Now it’s your turn.
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Remember, I love to know how this might have helped you and all the good stuff happens when you get talking about your lightbulb moments so do join in the conversation and share your thoughts below… I’d particularly love to know what your 3 main mind, body and business are for this year.
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Has this post fuelled your desire to get organised for the year ahead? You might find the Ultimate Diary Planner 2015 a wonderful desk buddy to help you plan your year and manage your daily to do list to keep you focused on the most important things and really drive your work and personal life forward to where you want it to be.
Find out more and get your copy at www.ultimatediaryplanner.com
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