Dec
As we approach the year’s end, it is an excellent time to examine, redefine or re-set your vision of success. Or, as my teenage grandson says to me, “How’s it going, Gran?”
December brings many deep, personal emotions that resonate far beyond the holiday season. Some of these feelings relate to holiday preparations, buying gifts for loved ones and friends, and the excitement of parties and gatherings. Even the decorations convey an aura of congeniality and hope.
It seems paradoxical that under the physical beauty of the holiday season and its collective unconscious feelings of joy, deeper, more profound personal emotions are itching to be examined.
We routinely make resolutions at the beginning of the new year, although we often put them aside when the going gets tough. It is easy to forget or set aside the practice of self-reflection, which helps determine your philosophy, including your values and beliefs – the basis for defining success.
What constitutes personal success? The following are six tips to consider after the holidays.
Be Conscious
No matter how you define excellence, it is essential to be mindful –– to be present – in thought, word and deed. Your behavior, conversations, and interactions with others can be defined as excellent when you engage with consciousness and do not internalize negative emotions.
Stop Resisting
Resistance is a psychological defensive mechanism that causes you to reject, deny, or oppose taking action. Whether it’s the life we live on the outside or the unlived life inside of us – our passions and dreams – it’s human nature to resist. Resistance allows us to make endless excuses not to do what we want to do: “I’m too busy today,” “I’m too old,” “I’m too young,” “I’m too fat,” “I need a nap,” “I’ll do it tomorrow.
Sound familiar?
Take Risks and Get Out of the Quicksand
Here’s a mantra for you: “Don’t be afraid to take risks.”
Take chances – of course, within reason. Be careful not to be paralyzed by fear or perfection. Be willing to make glorious mistakes because there is no such thing as failure.
Learn to Adapt
Your work and life are all about change, which can be intimidating. So, look for the positive or the good in the experience. Consider what you can learn. Don’t judge or label the change – observe it from a distance. Remember that fear will stop us from action, but fascination won’t let us walk away.
Find Your Passion
What makes you come alive? What is your passion? Passion is an outpouring of positive energy for the interests and ideas that make a difference in your life.
Consider what Success Looks Like to You
As you move through the joys of the holidays, make time for self-reflection and unleash the intellectual and emotional power of self-knowledge. Be sure to take some risks, some leaps of faith, and be willing to make glorious mistakes. Keep the focus for success on personal truth, and professional integrity and success will be knocking at your door.
Joan Frances Moran is a creative thought leader exploding with the potential of now. A lifelong learner with an unrelenting curiosity, Joan started teaching yoga at 60 and unlocked the key to cultivating daily happiness. Her signature headstand is not the only thing that leaves audiences in awe.