The year that we made plans to travel, try new things, develop new skills and achieve greatness. It seemed beyond imagining that we would be entering a pandemic and shortly after that, lockdown.
We’ve all had to adapt and adjust to a new way of life. Masks have become a fashion statement and hand sanitiser, an accessory. It’s been a tough and yet interesting year for us all.
As you delve into 2021, take a moment to celebrate the small wins through 2020. Whether it was overcoming the stress and fear of the unknown or putting some runs on the scoreboard against the odds; you made it through – well done.
We often don’t take time to reflect on our triumphs, often belittling what we achieve and looking ahead to the next battle. So as you step into this year take a pause to acknowledge yourself.
Looking ahead, if you could work on one thing in the coming year what would it be? Switching up your routine? Polishing your self-talk? Learning a new skill? Spending more time with loved ones? Whatever your choice, I offer some suggestions for seizing your goals.
Quieten the noise
When you encounter distractions it can take considerable time to regain your focus. So, whatever you want to get done in 2021, beware of those distractions. Sometimes we seek them out to avoid the daunting nature of our bold ambitions in a subconsciously self-sabotaging manner.
Create the space for your genius and creativity to emerge. Clearing out the mental clutter might be tough and unfamiliar to start with but will quickly become a habit as it delivers results.
Setting goals for 2021
We all went into 2020 with goals and ambitions. Not many of us got to see those plans through. The same may be true indeed for 2021.
With that in mind, we can strike a balance between planning for the goals we wish to achieve and remaining sufficiently detached from our desired outcomes so that we do not obsess about them. What’s on your wish list for the year?
If 2020 is anything to go by, these are opportune times for many of us to consider pursuing goals that we always sought to achieve but didn’t have time or the capacity for them.
One of my greatest reads last year was The 5am Club by Robin Sharma. It was quirky but worthwhile. In it lies a quote from Arthur Schopenhauer “most people take the limits of their vision to be the limits of the world. A few do not. Join them.”
Being grateful
In that wretched but enlightening year of 2020, my family lost three members; none of whom we could mourn or send off in person. Other families lost yet more and many are still fighting for their lives. It was certainly been a sobering year and COVID hasn’t done away with but only overshadowed many other difficulties that humankind has faces.
On the bright side, the Zoom-hosted memorials certainly brought my family members together, many of whom I had not seen for years. We rekindled old bonds for which I am very grateful and will strive to nurture the revitalised relationships.
Even as things seem sombre we often have a lot we can be thankful for. And let’s not forget, grateful people are happy people.
My path to coaching
Last year, I decided to follow a calling and to retrain as a coach, formalising skills I had been employing for years. And who knows what lies in store for this year – a brave, new year with fresh opportunities and challenges.
Whether you are looking to overcome limiting beliefs or imposter syndrome to perform at your best, secure a promotion, work on a career transition or reconnect with your passion – get in touch for more information about my coaching services and how I can help you achieve your goals.
What a year! We lost loved ones and gained gratitude for the joy they brought to our lives and the memories that can never be taken away. We lost livelihoods and learnt to appreciate living with less. We lost freedoms and started to appreciate simplicity.
In 2021… watch out world as you unleash your greatness and discover the gains in the losses!