Happy Mondays
Leading life and happiness coach
HAPPY New Year to you. I hope your Christmas was joyous and harmonious and no doubt your thoughts are now looking forward to a year ahead. Fresh hopes and new beginnings can feel an exciting prospect as the festive juggernaut has us catching our breath and reassessing the past, the present and what we might do differently.
To improve and learn is a fundamental part of the human condition but a word of warning for those of you thinking of taking up a punishing exercise routine, giving up an addiction or embarking on a new hobby or direction in life.
These next two months are cold and bleak. John Cleese once said the British winter was like the First World War: as you go in you’re not sure if you’ll emerge alive at the end of it.
Nature dictates that we rest and plan for when the days are brighter and we feel the primal tug of new life bursting through. If you want to use the next year to make changes then use the next two months to prepare, read, reflect and meditate if you want your goals to be a success.
Small changes lead to great results. This year I cannot recommend more that you decide to begin a journal to achieve your goals. Writing down intentions for your year or day is a great way of achieving clarity on your real heart’s desires, the way you want to feel and what you have to do to get there.
You can write down your daily feelings – the good, bad, sad and anxious and you tame it when you name it and see your thoughts and feelings objectively – then park and move on from them if necessary,
I really love A Book That Takes Its Time – An Unhurried Adventure In Creative Mindfulness (Workman, £21.99) by Irene Smit and Astrid van der Hulst.
It is like a retreat between two covers with bound-in postcards, mini journals, stickers, decorative papers for collaging and lots of delightful ideas and tools to help you appreciate the small things in life and landmark them.
“Life is so much better when you enjoy living in the now, when you focus on beautiful moments and don’t expect so much of yourself all the time,” say the authors. A really kind and considerate gift just for you.
Ponderlily planners put wellness on the agenda. Carina Lawson, an executive and mother of twins, created elegant stationery to get more space and meaning out of life. The planners include a monthly road map, how to write a “to be” list, habits that make you happier, stress relievers and how to be still. See the collection at ponderlily.com.
If you are seeking passion, purpose and prosperity look to Making It Happen – Notes To Self: To Dream, Believe And Achieve, self-published by Wendy O’Beine who when she hit 40 saw it as a pivotal time to wring the most out of life and reach at last for all the goals that call to you but time and life often push away.
Wendy says: “The goal is to help people answer that elusive question of “why”. Readers will learn to cut out the “what ifs” and visualise what they want before breaking it down into achievable chunks. Every step is intended to pinpoint their desires and find a way to make them a reality.” Visit notestoself journal.co.uk. Learn more, realise your dreams and take steps towards them – a journal is your coach to getting you a fulfilling 2018.