Happy New Year! (Am I too late to say that?)
One of the reasons I’m still saying “HNY” 6 days into 2023, is because the festive period was a total blur for me… & not for the right reasons!
Like millions of others it seems, I was struck down by this awful flu 3 weeks ago & felt absolutely dreadful throughout Christmas & the New Year. I’m just starting to come out the other side of it now, but am still not 100%.
Getting ill on the 16th December (not that I’m counting!!), meant that I missed my last week of work before the holidays. I had 2 whole days planned, with the kids in a holiday club & no clients/calls to wrap things up for the year.
I had the same planned this week, before I’m officially back to work on Monday.
Alas, I’ve lost both of those windows & the me from a couple of years ago, would be feeling entirely overwhelmed right now…
…I have a to-do list from 2022 that didn’t quite get done & a mounting one for January already. I’ve not been able to reply to emails & messages as quickly as I’d like & I’ve had to be honest with my clients, that I’m just not on top form yet.
None of these things make me feel good.
But the difference now is, with more self-awareness & Positive Psychology… that none of these things make me feel bad, anxious or any lesser of a person.
I use my communication strength to be open & honest with friends, family & clients who I haven’t been able to see & I’m mindful of my physical & mental wellbeing at all times – meaning, I’ve given myself permission to slow down & recover. Getting well is priority.
I’m sharing this because, I think there is so much rhetoric out there about “stepping into 2023” in a certain way. And I’m all for intention, goals & purpose (& encourage my clients to embody this)… but I also recognise that, for some, it adds undue pressure & anxiety & can actually be entirely counter-productive.
I had planned to “step into” 2023 feeling rested, recovered & with a new sense of energy.
I had planned to step into 2023 with 3x PT sessions per week & 10k steps per day.
I had planned to step into 2023 with total clarity in my offerings for my biz.
But guess what? It’s the 6th Jan & I’m not quite there yet, because something beyond my control took me out of action for the best part of a month.
And that’s ok!
I’m in a fortunate position that I’m a mentor & coach & am pretty good at planning & goal-setting… & I’ve got a gorgeous little team, a mentor & peers that help me pick-up where I left off.
But if you’re a solopreneur, you may not feel like you’ve got it all figured out.
And that’s ok!
If like me, for whatever reason, you’re not “stepping into 2023” in the way you’d hoped & it’s not feeling good, then just take a moment to do these 9 things:
- Take a deep breath – even better, take 15 minutes to meditate & re-centre
- Write your gratitudes – acknowledge the good & the things that have gone well
- Share your thoughts with someone who you know will get it – friend, peer, coach, mentor
- Clear your diary of work & social engagements – even if it’s just a day… clear your diary so you’ve got physical & mental space
- When you’ve got this space, have a think about & write down 3 priorities for the month ahead: 3 things that need your focus & will take precedent over everything else
- Once you’ve got these 3 priorities, brain-dump all the associated actions that go with them. Go into as much detail as possible, to get it all out of your head (you might do this on paper, in a spread-sheet or using an app like Asana)
- Now you’ve got all the actions, look ahead at your diary for the rest of the month & begin to “time-block” them in. This means you’ll have the time carved out to tackle them, eliminating that feeling of time running away with you. You’ll also be able to identify if you have enough capacity & where you might need support
- Once you’ve done this, take a break (maybe even a walk round the block), have a glass of water & be sure to eat
- Get an early night. Things always seem so much more doable on a good night’s sleep
Trust me, if you do these 9 things, you’ll be on our way to reducing overwhelm & no longer worrying what you’re “stepping in” to 2023 like.
So, you may be stepping into 2023 with vigour, energy & purpose. Or you may not. Either way, that’s totally fine, it doesn’t mean that the 9th, 15th, 21st Jan can feel amazing! Just take it at your own pace & address how you’re feeling – as have so much more control than you may realise over how you feel.