Reflect, Relax, Recharge
Time for some reflection and creative relaxation and then, will be ready to leap into another year.
I enjoy the week between Christmas and New Year. The world quiets in some ways. There are fewer emails. My husband takes a few days off work. My daughter is home from school. I’ll step away from the desk for a couple of days too.
But, I’m not stagnant. I’ll play games with the family. Go for walks. Watch football. Write in my journal, clean out a cabinet—OK don’t hold me to it—and I’ll work on a writing project.
I’ll do the thing I want to do when I want and use the time to restore, reflect, and get ready to create again.
Not just my writing, but a life.
Creating a Life
Creativity is the link between living life and living a meaningful, satisfying one. When we create a life we take deliberate action, give consistent effort, we comitt and connect and from that comes meaning, and purpose.
Creative thinking fuels our decision-making and problem-solving, it is the piece behind innovation and development and a beacon that can pull us through difficult times. When we don’t know what to do, we can find a way through because of that creativity. We become responsive and resilient, rather than reactive.
Over the next week, I’ll tap into this creative spirit in some very specific ways. You might want to try them too and recharge for the New Year.
Contemplate This
Reflect on where you have been. Make a mosaic in your mind of the sharpest, boldest, brightest, and darkest moments. Life is a combination of all the big feelings and days filled with comfort and challenge. That doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong, it means you are alive. When we can recognize the contrast between the highlights and lowlights, we will recognize our resilience, and capability, and experience gratitude.
Celebrate. Your resilience. Your success. Your achievements and the small, brief moments that were meaningful to you—one of mine was from a conversation with my daughter, how I handled it, and how it drew us closer. Mark the raucous, obvious, accomplishments too—the book, the weight loss, the new client.
Savor the good feelings. Let the good feeling wash over you. Hold on to them. Notice them. Allow yourself to feel good. Research shows that when we can do this, we program our brain to notice and feel more good stuff. Savoring also enhances the enjoyment of the experiences we have. Slow down. Feel the goodness. Sit with it for a minute.
Appreciate the challenges that helped you grow. Life takes place while we are overcoming, it isn’t something we put on hold until we are free of challenge. Appreciate what they have taught you.
Look forward to tomorrow. Now, let’s look at what’s next. What can you get excited about tomorrow? Find one thing to look forward to. If you aren’t sure, plan something fun to think about.
Get excited for the big picture. What would you like to feel this next year? What do you want to achieve, experience, learn, accomplish, do? Get specific and write one thing down for each of these categories: Personal Growth, Health, Relationships, Professional, Financial. And anything else you want to daydream about. Putting it down on paper, helps your unconscious start creating, but it never hurts to write your goals out in specific steps.
Pick-a-pie-in-the-sky. Maybe you want to find your soulmate, or start a business, or have a bestseller, this is the time to write it down. Pick the pie-in-the-sky dream—and imagine how it would feel. Have fun with this. You never know what will manifest. There is a lot we can’t control, but we can control what we think about and the dreams we hold.
Give thanks. Often.
On that note, I am grateful to you. How’s that for a segue? Thank you for reading and commenting. Thank you for the personal emails you send. You inspire me. And I love sharing what I’m learning and working on with you. The connection is important.
For now, even if you are working or have a house filled with family, find some time just for you, and take a moment to reflect, relax, regroup, and recharge.
We’ll pick this up in January.
Be safe. Be well.
-p
Recharge in 2024
Ready for a fresh start? Ready to have greater energy and ease, less stress and drama? To live a life of meaning and to feel good about what you are doing.
Great! This award-winning book, You, Recharged can help.
One reviewer says it’s “better than vitamins” if you want to elevate your life and feel inspired, healthier, and happier. And it makes a great holiday gift.
Get your copy of You, Recharged today.