New Year, Same Old *Low-On-Energy* Me
Is something wrong with you if you didn’t have a spectacular start to the new year 2023?
How’s the first month of 2023 going for you?
I know there’s a lot of motivation on social media with people sharing their 2022 highlights. Rejoicing the wins of others is fantastic, but sometimes, it can get to you.
Especially when you barely managed to hold on, are recovering from a major loss, or just bid farewell to someone important.
If the endless stream of social media motivation is getting to you, please remember that what we see online reflects nothing on reality. And irrespective of how rich, happy, or successful others your age might be, it has never been a competition for whose life looks glamorous.
If the internet has made you feel this way, don’t blame yourself.
Take a break, look back on your wins of last year, however small they might be, and make the most of whatever lessons 2022 taught you.
After all, what use are lessons if we don’t apply them to our lives?
How to derive the most important lessons from 2022?
By performing an annual personal review.
The name might sound fancy, but it’s just a couple of hours of journaling where you sit down with your thoughts and try to make sense of everything you learned in the past revolution of the planet around the sun.
That’s exactly what I’m here to help you with today.
I’ve recorded a detailed, step-by-step guide on how to conduct the most productive personal annual review. Watch here, and follow along to derive pertinent lessons from your life through the past year.
For those who prefer writing the reviews digitally, here’s a link to my Notion templates, where you can directly log in and start editing.
What if the start of 2023 was NOT spectacular?
If you’re not feeling full of energy, enthusiasm, and motivation at the start of 2023, you’re losing out on -
✅ The chance to fulfill your dreams
✅ Quitting your shitty job and living the life of your dreams
✅ Making $10k+ per month
….or that’s how most self-help influencers would make you think.
But is that really the truth?
Most of my best decisions were made at times that had nothing to do with the new year. January happens to be the first month, based on how humans in the 1500s decided to demarcate time.
If you aren’t motivated to give your best shot in January, that’s okay.
There are 11 more months left.
And when we zoom out a bit for a change in perspective, you have your whole life ahead of you.
Not starting a new venture, adopting a new habit, or celebrating a major professional milestone at the start of the year is okay.
You aren’t losing out on anything as long as you’re in touch with your core values and know where you want to be in 5 years.
Goals or habits, what to focus on?
The new year calls for a new *you*.
But what to do if everything else in your life feels the *same old?*
I know that feeling of being left out when everyone on social media posts year-end highlight videos and flaunts their resolutions.
I know how it feels not to have anything major planned for the next 12 months and then blame yourself for somehow losing out on a race you didn’t even know you were supposed to participate in.
If you started the new year feeling low on motivation, here’s a reminder that this is completely okay.
You’re allowed to take your time and only focus on the things that matter.
And in case you’re worried about not having *big* goals, let me share my philosophy with you-
Daily habits >>> Goals.
Big goals tend to be blinding. You’re so focused on what *might* happen in the next few years that you lose sight of what’s happening around you. Your head is filled with images of grandeur that make you afraid of taking the first step.
And what happens in the end?
You’re so terrified of all that might go wrong in your *big* plan that you protect yourself from failure by not taking the first step.
If that sounds familiar, then welcome to the club.
In 2023, let’s not focus on big goals but rather concentrate on building small habits that are sustainable, scalable, and will leave a huge impact five years down the line.
The habits I’m swearing by this year are-
💡30 minutes of daily Yoga
💡8 days a month of learning a new dance form
💡Oil pulling every morning before brushing my teeth
💡Reading for at least 10 minutes before going to bed each night
💡1 hour of outdoors time every day.
What are some habits you’re focusing on building in 2023? Let me know in the comments.
I have made a detailed video to help you set achievable goals for 2023. Watch it here, and don’t forget to let me know your thoughts in the comments.
Get your FREE 2023 goal-setting template here.
Don’t forget to share this article with a friend, colleague, or relative who might find this helpful. I’d love to hear your reflections and thoughts on this in the comments.