Hello & Happy New Year!
When choosing the focus for this month I felt inclined to lead with vitality. I mean, New Year is often the time we decide to get fitter & healthier, maybe you’re even taking on Veganuary?
But then another theme jumped out at me, spoke to me if you will. It was something I found difficult to ignore and epitomised what I personally want to give a lot of focus to not just this month but throughout this year and beyond.
It’s purpose.
What is life without purpose? Why just meander through the time we are given?
Purpose drives us, excites us, defines us, ignites the fire within our bellies.
We should all have one.
It’s my personal mission to connect more with mine.
If you’re already clear on yours, fantastic! This is the perfect time to take stock of your progress & keep going.
But perhaps you need to remind yourself of yours, to re-focus. Maybe you need to clear your path and get back on track.
Or you might be in the discovery stage and need to brainstorm, or meditate, or even daydream about who you are, what your purpose is and what you need to do to achieve it.
Wherever you’re at, don’t spend the next 12-months wandering aimlessly along hoping something good will fall into your lap. Make it happen.
Work out your purpose and take action throughout this year to align with it.
For this exact reason, I’ll be a little quieter this month particularly on social media. I need time to clear the brain fog & gain some clarity. I want my actions this year to reflect my purpose. It’s time for a slight pause of the treadmill if you will.
More than anything, I encourage you to do the same.
Come on Living.Pretty.Happier’s…
Let’s get this new year off to a really positive start. Let’s realise the best resolution is the one that brings us to a happier way of life. Let’s put more importance on the health of our soul this year than the number shown on the scales. And let’s make 2020 our most purposeful year yet!
Here are just some of the tools I’ll be using this month to align me to my purpose, which I believe could help you too:
Your Dream Life Starts Here
A book packed full of ideas & tools to create a roadmap for turning your dreams into reality. I personally love the focus it encourages in a fun but motivating way. I’ve written more about it in: Are you living the life of your dreams?
5 Ways to Build Up Your Self-Worth
I see this period as an opportunity to invest in myself, which is one of the 5 ways I shared to help build up self-worth. Believing in yourself & your value will contribute massively to you achieving your purpose. Find out more here.
I’ll be re-reading some of my favourite self-help books
And in particular Jen Sincero’s You are a Badass – she’s like a no-nonsense best-friend cheering you on. Find out more here.
I’ll be taking notes whilst watching Brené Brown’s Netflix special: The Call to Courage
Not only are Brené’s talks empowering they’re also full of warmth & humour. I urge you to watch her Netflix special.
Plus I’ll be getting into the right headspace through running
If you feel running might help to clear your mind, you might find my Tips for Beginner Runners helpful.
And speaking of Headspace…
I’ll be using the Headspace App to increase my focus & maintain calm. If you haven’t tried mindfulness yet, I highly recommend it. I’ve written all about it in: Being Mindful, Is Mindfulness For You?
Purpose is a good word! I like it. My year this year is going to be committed to going with the flow, and just enjoying the journey. Im not forcing or chasing anything. Its quite liberating! Meditation is a huge focus in my life, so my advice to anyone would be to begin a practise. We always have the answers and the knowledge within us, we just sometimes need to quiet the noise to hear them. I also have made a promise to my friends to make more time for them this year. I feel a shift in my purpose this year. It is shouting loudly to me so I need to follow and trust, as I always do, that the Universe has my back and I know my direction. Im excited
That’s fantastic Kerry! Thank you for the good advice & I’m excited for you too! x
I’m very much liking the point made that putting emphasis on the health of the soul, rather than ‘number on the scales’ is important. I feel this attitude makes a crucial difference to well being, and actually, is much more likely to lead to positive, all-round (including physical) life changes.
I’m really pleased this point has resonated with you & yes like you’ve said, I believe all the positive changes will occur from this point – thank you for reading x
I’ve picked up some fab ideas here Alex – namely the Netflix & book recommendations. I love the Headspace app – Andy’s voice is so……reassuring isn’t it? I could listen to him all day! Have you got the full app download? It’s about £50 a year but I’m debating on whether or not to just bite the bullet and go for it…what do you think? x
I’m so pleased Lauretta! You will love the Netflix special, I’m sure of it! Yes, I completely agree his voice is reassuring & comforting. I had the full-one last year, I held out and then they came in with a great discount, so I signed up. I’m just holding out for the discounted offer again LOL but if it doesn’t come, I will sign up anyway, plus my kids love using it too (they have a section for kids with a bedtime wind-down etc) xx