Be resolute, but have fun

Last year, after many years of not realizing that trap, I finally woke up and made the best list of my life ever. I aimed to fix my mind. I aimed to fix the system inside that was causing me to fail outside. I aimed to do a mindset reset. I wanted to look at why I was doing the things I was and how could I do them differently to succeed.

At the top of that list was “Self-Love”. I realized when one struggles with true self love, they will not be motivated to eat better and get adequate sleep. Somewhere on the list I had “identify moments of procrastination” and that certainly helped with understanding why workout sessions were being rescheduled. “Rock, paper, scissors” was at number seven. It was added so I would be reminded that most decisions did not require that much stress and tension. Truthfully, in life we worry so much about making the right decisions for our future it’s unbelievable. Just pick! Don’t be so stuck up about always getting it right and perfect the first time. Those little “try again” nicks will make you stronger and sometime they come with stories to inspire others.  There is nothing we can learn until we try something. The sooner you make up your mind to trying, the more time you will have to do it one more time if once was not enough.

Slow down. Calm down. Don’t worry. Don’t hurry. Trust the process. Have fun.

Be resolute about easy things that are essential and fun. Take care of your hair (if you have any), make daily or weekly time for nature interaction (yes, house plants or pets counts). Please understand that there are some things that when they get adjusted, so many other things become so much easier. I went into me and saw some of the sources of my procrastination and it has made a difference in how I structure my timetable. No more attempts at morning exercises. Put self-loving on that list. Be open to giving to yourself and prioritizing because you love yourself.

You may find it easier to read more books because you want to experience a smarter self, you put more hours into managing your finances because you want to be able to afford more fine wine for your star gazing evenings. Quit some bad habits by replacing them with new good ones for you. Don’t ever try to change because of anyone else.

Relax, smile more, laugh out loud more, sing more, count to ten more. This year, my list is my shortest yet. 1. Push past fear. Yup, I’m diving into the shark infested experiences that life has to throw at me. Braving up with the understanding that I’m protected by destiny. That that which is for me is only that which will come to me, giving me more lovely little moments in every day.

“Nature does not hurry, yet everything gets accomplished,” says Lao Tzu.

Happy New Year. Make it count.

Sharlene Rowe is a Motivational Mentor and Personal Development writer who discusses Positive thinking and Growth Mindset. She is founder of the Yellow Flowers Women's Network aimed at empowering women and girls. Send feedback to misssrowe@yahoo.com