As the year comes to an end, do you ever sit and wonder where all the time went? Did you start a new job, make new connections, fall in love, or move across the country? Do you ever feel as if there were opportunities you could have taken and regretted saying no, and there are opportunities you said yes to that had consequences? I know that during the holiday season, I become nostalgic, rethinking all of my decisions! I decided I am going to start my New Year Resolutions early by taking full control of my path and my life again.
These are the first five steps I am going to take to win back control and focus on my happiness..
Scheduling
Scheduling is at the top of my list. I want to do anything and everything even if there is no room in my day planner. In college, I would sacrifice sleep, me-time, and opportunities to connect with my family. I was so focused on not missing out on anything that I actually missed out on everything! My first step is buying a planner (or you can use your phone for free) and scheduling myself out at least a week in advance.
I want to invest in people I love and hobbies I enjoy, so I will leave room for fun Friday nights, but I am also going to start taking my self-care more seriously. I plan on also creating a sleep schedule for the weekdays, setting aside time for personal growth and "me-time" making sure I am working on my health and not just swinging through drive-thru's, and I am cutting out procrastination all together! A big part of taking back control of your life is not allowing outside factors or peer-pressure determine where you dedicate your time.
Budgeting
Yesterday, I sat down and gave myself a pep talk. I told myself to stop signing up for $1.99 subscriptions on my phone because they truly do add up. I downloaded an incredible app called "Truebill" and it tracks my subscriptions, it analyzes my spending, and helps me learn how to budget and invest. I knew I was growing up when I realized these were the types of things that bring butterflies to my stomach!
Do not let debt or lack of self-control in spending control your life. Let your finances know who is boss. Download this app, start a google spreadsheet, or invest in a tiny notebook where you can keep track of what is coming in and what is going out. Nothing feels better than knowing you are using your money wisely and you are saving tons of money in the long-run by making small changes now. Also, you do NOT need to cut out your daily Starbucks run to achieve this goal.
Fasting
Fasting may be one of the most difficult steps in this process because it takes a lot of self-control. Fasting does not always mean "no meals for the day," you can fast social media, television, etc. You can take a small break from anything that is maybe taking over the driver's seat in your car. Fasting food can also be very healthy for your digestive system and giving your body a break.
Also with fasting, another great thing is to invest in your body every day. That could be meal prepping, signing up at a gym, telling your body three things you love about it every day, or committing to walking 10,000 steps a day while chugging a gallon of water. Do what feels right for you because that is the best part, you have the closest relationship with your body that no one else can control.
Saying No
The best piece of advice I was ever given was to "look at everything like it was a choice, not that you were forced." I GET to go to work today and do what I love. I GET to workout today and fuel my body with proper foods. I CHOOSE to go out with my friends even though I have had a long day because I want to spend time with them. Once you change your mindset on that, it is easier to say no to things that do not serve you.
Saying no is so hard because a majority of us live to please others, I am apart of that majority. I have woken up so many times this past month thinking, "I really do not want to do this today, but I have no choice", when first of all, I do have a choice and I could say no, and second of all, I could easily change my mindset into something positive and see where the day takes me. Mindset is everything!
Pursue Your Passions
Pursue the business you have dreamed of opening for the past three years, pursue the person you love even if they are states away, pursue the friendship, or pursue any main goal in your life that you feel you have no time for. You make time for things that are important to you (reread step one about scheduling). The last step is to invest in your passion project, something that excites you every time you think about it. Everyone deserves to have something like this in their lives that sparks creativity and light.
For me, it was creating a website and starting to blog. I would use my free time to create instead of just watch Netflix. What is your passion project?
While writing this, I was making notes of different areas I was ready to take control of again in my life. I struggled with body image a lot this past year while traveling and doing volunteer work. I realized a lot of it came from not having control in any of the areas in my life besides what I was eating. You have every right to take back what belongs to you! What are you needing to change in order to take control again?
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