The beginning of the calendar year has always evoked a sense of reflection and the possibility for something new, often leading us to set resolutions for the year. Rather than resolutions, I prefer to have an overall theme. Like a play, movie or symphony, an over-arching theme knits all the elements together like a thread for the pearls. For 2019, the theme word that keeps coming up for me is nourish.
Why “Nourish”?
My distaste for resolutions is that they become something I should do. Yet as I look to the natural environment, the drive to grow is innate. Plants don’t set goals, make resolutions and work at growing, they just grow. The same is true for all living things. If these living beings are well nourished in the broadest sense, growth is inevitable and resiliency to stressors in the environment is optimized.
I believe the same goes for people; that when the conditions around us nourish us, our growth is inevitable, and we are also more resilient. I see this so clearly with my kids.
True, people are far more complicated than most of the natural world. The internal conditions of our own mind, thoughts and habits can often be our biggest barrier. Yet, even in this area there are many mental shifts in thinking and healthy habits (meditation, exercise, gratitude, etc.) we can adopt that shift our thinking out of negativity or being stuck and into that of a growth mindset, thus fostering our progress.
A Theme as a Filter
For me, the value of a theme word is using it as a filter or a north star throughout the days and weeks. It can be used at the micro-level for making a variety of daily decisions, such as “is my current activity nourishing me or others in a meaningful way”? It can be used at the mindset level for work or tasks that simply need to get done, by putting a mundane task into a broader context and giving it more meaning. Or it can be used at the macro-level by adding one intentional activity or event to the week or month, such as “what activity or training would nourish me in an area where I need a boost”?
What I like is that by coming back to this theme word each week and throughout the day it becomes another way for me to tune into the present and become intentional again, versus operating on autopilot. And once I’m present, a host of other more productive thinking becomes available to me – things like focus, gratitude and compassion. All of which predisposes my mind to growth.
Different Ways to Use a Theme Word
Here are a variety of ways I intend to use this as a theme word:
Reframing my ‘goals’ through the lens of nourish and approaching them from that angle, leveraging the more motivating perspective of the theme.
By setting aside 10 minutes or so each week to pause and plan the week, and intentionally adding one activity that I might not have prioritized which nourishes/supports an important area of my life.
By regularly checking in through the day “is what I’m doing right now nourishing me by helping me focus on what is most important?”
By reframing routines and tasks and remembering how they nourish the goals I am working toward, particularly those tasks which are less desirable on the surface.
By making better choices as to how I nourish my body; “am I making a choice that gives me the most energy”, (i.e. sleep, food, drink, movement, exercise, etc.)
By assessing how I use my ‘down’ time; “is what I’m doing nourishing me in some way or am I mindlessly hooked by technology or something else ‘shiny’”?
This isn’t an all or nothing approach. Trying to do only things that nourish me at all times is unrealistic and a recipe for failure. This is more a way to tip the balance a bit further in the direction I would like to go, knowing little things matter and do add up. But it definitely includes bringing some fresh intention and discipline to it, knowing that I am also creating new habits.
To help me stay on track, I’m putting a weekly event in my calendar for reflection and planning. I will use this time to create specific actions for the week related to my theme and check in to see how I did with the actions for the previous week. I’m also integrating a daily prompt into my morning routine and I have engaged an accountability partner to give me a supportive nudge when I need it.
Conclusion
If you dislike resolutions but feel like you want to bring something fresh to the beginning of the year, try picking a theme. This could be done by using any word that describes a personal value or aspiration that is meaningful to you (e.g., adventure, ownership, creativity, etc.). The theme becomes a spotlight or filter for your day/week/month, bringing it more to the forefront. And if you do experiment with this, aim to have fun with it! As Oscar Wilde said, “Life is far too important a thing to talk seriously about”! We are far more open and curious to new experiences if we don’t take it all so seriously.
I coach amazing people like you to delete the overwhelm, discern what matters most and drive your future. Schedule a FREE consultation with me HERE if you want to explore what life would be like for you with a more resilient brain and more masterful habits.