Give your mindset a refresh and check your thought patterns as we head into what can still be a productive and exciting year.
We all need a decent wash, mentally and emotionally. Yet even as we rigorously sanitise our flesh, we neglect our souls.
Yes, our world is constantly in flux. But I believe we can ready ourselves for the inevitable battles to come. Armed with hope, let’s endeavour to make this year terrific and set our intentions to capture some highlights.
A fresh chapter gives us the potential to make it a year filled with renewed hope. Many of us have faced a ‘winter of discontent’ — cancelled vacations, disrupted school events, and plans overturned with just a few moments’ notice.
However, school is always in session. Sometimes learning happens in positive, uplifting experiences. At other times, it comes through negative, distressing situations. Below are seven tools to give your psyche a cleanse.
1. Take a word
What overarching theme do you want to create for this year? What north star can you anchor to when the winds get rough? This ‘word’ will help ground you and bring you back into alignment with your goals. It will also guide your behaviour, projects, intentions and patterns of thinking.
Once you choose your word, decide to embody it. Let it become alive in your heart and mind. Say the word out loud three times when you wake up and again at night before you go to bed.
Examples of good words are Awe, Bloom, Bounce, Calm, Focus, Intention or Trust. Frame this year around your word and let it take on a life of its own.
2. Generate a narrative traction
Narrative traction means creating genuine interest in your own story. The best way to do this is by focusing on a project that uniquely needs you. As humans, we love stories. They stir emotion and help us connect. They also have the power to influence our thinking, attitudes and behaviour.
Therefore, be the hero in your own story. Paint it with a gorgeous setting, deep conflict and epic conquest. It might be starting a business, writing a book, learning a new skill, or helping an organisation you believe in. Life is difficult — it is vital to stay connected to the heroic part of our being.
Deepak Chopra once posted on his Instagram, “Once I realised that Deepak Chopra was a fictional character, I stopped taking him seriously.”
Initially, I thought someone was joking. Then I realised how deep that comment is. We are all fictional characters, created by our own thoughts, feelings, environment and the influence of others.
American sociologist Charles Cooley said, “I am not who you think I am. I am not who I think I am. I am who I think you think I am.” This helps us understand the complex nature of identity and how easily it can shift. If we are all fictional characters, why not write your own hero’s journey? Make the choice to believe in you, even if nobody else does.
3. Defragment your mental software
Back in the day, we had to manually defragment our computers. This process consolidated all the data on the disk so it worked more effectively. Without it, the computer would slow down, run hot and constantly throw up spinning pinwheels of death.
Similarly, the same is true for our minds. If you often feel overwhelmed or stressed for no clear reason, you may simply need to pull the plug. Your mental software needs time to consolidate and process all its inputs.
One of the best ways to defragment is to allow yourself to get bored. Boredom is the foundation for creativity. The pause is where ideas come to us. In contrast, docilely scrolling through a phone never gives the mind time to connect the dots — it leaves us frazzled and run down.
So, set aside at least one hour a day to be absent from all things digital. Go outside. Nature bathe. Your soul will thank you.
4. Embrace the fear and live with courage
“Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is fear walking.” — Susan David
We live in a dangerous world. But the only way to truly live is to stop focusing on the danger and instead look towards the opportunity and promise this life has to offer. Fear is inadequacy translated into emotion. This is why knowing we are ‘enough’ is such a powerful tool.
In truth, whether you live in fear or live with courage, you still feel fear. There is no way around it. When we allow fear to drive our decisions, our mind fills the blanks with anxiety — inventing problems that haven’t happened yet. That leaves us paralysed.
Comfort zones are hiding places. Moreover, fear causes us to forget who we are and our past victories. Instead, remember the times you have persisted and overcome. Let those memories guide your choices.
Let courage be the dominant narrative in your life and you will rise to new levels of performance. We need faith over fear — not denial, but the undeniable belief that in the end, we will prevail.
5. Get big on recovery
LeBron James spends a million dollars a year on recovery. After nearly two decades as a professional basketballer, he has stayed at the top of his game by getting serious about it.
Specifically, his routine includes a personal cryochamber, elite physiotherapists, high-performance compression gear, nutritionists, electrostimulation machines, yoga, Pilates and daily meditation.
Of course, most of us don’t have a spare million. But we can all spend 20 minutes a day stretching and working on our flexibility. The key to long-term agility is flexibility — both mentally and physically. Start small. Eat a nutritious meal. Try a two-minute meditation. Look after yourself for the long haul.
6. Avoid decision fatigue
One of the reasons we feel tired after a good night’s sleep is the phone. As soon as we wake, our fingers and eyes passively lurk through its contents. We make dozens of micro-decisions before we’ve had breakfast — like this post, comment on that photo, delete that email, respond to that text. These endless decisions drain our cognitive tank and make good thinking harder.
The solution is to establish routines. Steve Jobs wore almost the same outfit every day — a black turtleneck, blue jeans and New Balance sneakers. For Barack Obama, it was either a blue or grey suit. For Mark Zuckerberg, it’s the same grey tee every day. Why? Because they save their decision-making energy for what matters.
Personally, I have eaten the same breakfast for over 40 years. I like my mind clear in the morning. Establish as many habits as possible. Automate the trivial. Save your best thinking for the important choices.
Furthermore, try staying off your phone for the first hour after waking. You’ll find your imagination comes alive with fresh ideas and visions for your future.
7. Seek transcendence
Pursue experiences that fill you with awe and wonder. Climb a mountain. Watch a sunrise. Help someone in need. Befriend the lonely. These are the moments that pull you above the humdrum of everyday life and remind you of something greater.
Unfortunately, we often become jaded, sceptical or even cynical about everything. Life loses its colour. When we lose our sense of excitement, we also lose gratitude and humility — because we’re trapped in the banal.
Instead, consider this: while we fuss about a weird look from a stranger or an unanswered text, galaxies the size of our Milky Way are tumbling into the unknown faster than the speed of light. Our whole existence is awesome, absurd, miraculous and mind-numbing all at the same time.
Ultimately, do you really want to spend your life worried about unknown callers or failed parcel deliveries? You can walk around with your head held low, complaining about first world problems. Or you can walk through this life full of awe and wonder at your own amazing existence.
A final thought: Don’t allow the noise of the world to dampen your enthusiasm for life. There is still so much waiting to be experienced.
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I deliver powerful, life-changing presentations to students across Australia. Book a school presentation or visit The HopeFULL Institute to learn more about what I do.