Six Little Known Ways to Make 2022 Significant
They’re reasonable, practical, and most importantly, make sense
1. Tackle the Hardest and Biggest Tasks First
As Mark Twain said:
“Eat a live frog first thing in the morning, and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.”
“And if it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.”
Ever see a to-do list with nothing on it? It’s virtually impossible. With endless tasks on our to-do lists, it can make sense to check off the easier ones first, building up that motivation to continue to the harder ones later on. But the longer these tasks are deferred, the more challenging they can become to complete.
If you aren’t ‘the early bird gets the worm’ kinda person, you could be ‘the second mouse gets the cheese’ kinda person. Have the courage and the determination to complete it before the day’s end.
2. Purge. Need I Say More?
The simplest way to feel lighter is to take that weight off your shoulders and forget what you don’t even remember. Isn’t that the biggest problem with junk and clutter? It’s out of sight, so naturally, you assume it’s also out of mind.
But deep inside your subconscious mind, you know there are boxes in the garage or basement with unused, unnecessary stuff. Or racks of clothes in your closet, maybe even the guest room closet, with items you don’t wear, or think you will, at some point. That’s baggage — baggage you don’t need, yet carry it around with you year after year.
Purge what you don’t need. If it’s someone else’s stuff, give it back. Their refusal to let go is not reason enough for you to carry the load. After all, it’s not just stuff in those boxes and closets, it’s unwanted anxiety, stress, and past burdens that hinder you from moving forward.
3. Each Day, Do Something for Your Mind, Body, Passion, and People in Your Family
If you think about your daily routine, you might already do these. This year be more intentional when scheduling it in your day-to-day life.
Body: With physical health and body image as rife as before, the pandemic also brought forward and accelerated the mental health crisis. It’s a no-brainer that a healthy body leads to a healthy mind through the mind-body connection.
Include yoga, stretching, working out a sweat, massage, walking, breathing exercises, or reiki. Try a juice cleanse, join a health club or take up pilates. Keeping a consistent movement regime eliminates injuries and ensures an overall healthy body. There are infinite ways to learn new things and improve your body every day.
Mind: It can be as simple as reading, listening to something, meditating, or sitting in silence. Or as complex as learning something new. I read every day, sometimes listen to a podcast if in the car, and am still learning French. I hoped to complete that last year, but no worries, being consistent rather than quitting is the key to finishing — slow and steady wins the race too.
Doing something for your mind can also include learning to control emotions, such as anger. There is a story called Buddha and the angry man. During his travels, Buddha came to a village, and while giving a talk, a man rudely interrupted him with insults. Buddha remained calm and asked the man a question, “If someone gives you a gift and you choose not to receive it, to whom, then does the gift belong?” Surprised by the question, the man replied, “It would belong to me because I bought the gift. Buddha then explained that your anger is your own when others don’t accept it. So it’s best to let it go.
Passion: For me, it’s writing. It should reveal your Ikigai, a Japanese concept that means your sense of purpose or what you wake up for every morning.
Not everyone has a hobby or craft that stirs passion, or they haven’t found it yet. Give yourself the time to explore and discover it each day. It could be volunteering in your spare time, seeking personal growth, music, tutoring, studying religion or spirituality, or traveling.
People: Spend time with loved ones, do something with your kids, video call family members, and include quality time with your partner. Opt for experiences over material things whenever you can.
4. You Do You
Take everything you read, listen, see, and follow and cater it to suit your needs. Not every solution, size, or diet works for everyone the same way. Adopt and tweak according to what’s happening in your life right now.
An example is from a book called The 5 am Club. When it was first released, it was a big hit, with many people claiming that waking up at that time did wonders for them. Others debunked the idea altogether.
It just shows nothing’s written with permanent ink, and everything is customizable to your life. Only you will know what works for you and what doesn’t.
5. Breed Consciousness
My all-time favorite. Consciousness is our awareness of our experience while awake. The key to unlocking a higher level of consciousness is self-love. When you love yourself wholely, the world around you changes for the better too. Learn to love yourself every day, surround yourself with positive people, and find meaningful purpose in everything you do.
Compassion starts with oneself when we champion choice and free will. Our environment has a tremendous effect on us, more notably, a positive effect when we chose life from a more conscious perspective.
6. Be Grateful Every Day
Being grateful is the easiest, most unpretentious, and underrated strategy to live a meaningful life.
We tend to focus on the negative and dwell on our problems when they appear. And there’s nothing unnatural about that because, with mindfulness and awareness, you’ll focus on them less. We can concentrate on the small miracles that life can hold for us every day, every moment.
If you’ve struggled with health and wellness for years, then try focusing on how fortunate you were to make it this far. Think about how breakable life is; think about how fragile everything is; think about how often we get frustrated or angry…, and then think about how you’re doing OK today.
There you have it: Six strategies to incorporate into your life in 2022. Use these as a starting point to transform today and each day after that. And then reach out and share these ideas with someone else.